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Hey nurses,
In honor of "420" tomorrow... As a health-care professional, what are your thoughts on smoking weed? Any nurses out there that smoke a joint here and there?
Cheers.
I think what nurses do on their own time is there business. I have chronic pain and don't sleep it's the only thing that helps unless you want me on opiods at work. I only use it on my days off. Go for it. It's no one's business.
Most employers and all the states BON's don't agree. It's a very real risk to your license to do that. Granted some states are less aggressive in pursuing action against marijuana use but as long as it's still illegal federally there's always a risk.
I experimented a few times as a teen, it was nothing special and after a paranoid reaction to it I swore it off for good. I've also read it's linked to schizophrenia in young men so I'd advise to stay clear of it. I know it does help some people with pain, nausea and seizures so if they can get it for medical reasons that's fine.
But as a nurse I wouldn't risk it. You can always be drug tested, a work injury or a new job why take the risk to your license. So many new grads worry about their license over making a mistake or bad working conditions, but it is actually drinking or doing drugs that puts you most at risk for losing your license. I've read enough horror stories of people pushed into multi-year drug/psyche treatment programs that I would never risk it. Not able to work, forced to pay for your own pee test and group therapy, no thank you! Also some places do a hair test instead of a urine test and they will be able to see if you've done anything wrong for months not just a week or so. It's not worth it!
For what it's worth I steer clear of alcohol too because we've had many alcoholics in my family, and I had a cousin die in her 50's leaving behind her children from liver failure. So sad she just wasn't able to quit drinking and it killed her in the end. She was a sweet, wonderful person who was very much loved by all, such a tragedy.
No, as it not allowed , but the profession should do some honest soul searching as there are many reports to it's therapeutic benefits. This is a newer area and the laws are still in the making. There are even questions as to working in the industry.
For me, if it helps others and is pretty much harmless, then why not? I do believe it is safer than alcohol and certainly smoking. If it in fact, children are being helped with seizures then why would we not want then to have it?
I do believe many would use cannabis in place of opoiods and other more harmful substances. I live in an area that has been hit very hard by the opoiods. I feel drained from the stories of the families that have been affected. Many sound as if they would be willing to work through some very serious addictions ( e.g. Heroin).
As for nurses, when it is legal, why would it be treated any differently than alcohol?
Horseshoe, BSN, RN
5,879 Posts
I certainly wasn't stating what every BON will do (that's why I said they "could" not "will"), but the poster in question insisted that this is no one's business, and nurses certainly can not make that assumption about their BONs or their places of employment.