Nurses Who Smoke Marijuana

Nurses Recovery

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I am currently taking my prerequisites for Nursing. I know two nurses, one is a friend of my mothers and she is a Nurse Practitioner and my boyfriend's mother is a charge nurse in the ICU. Both of them smoke Marijuana (occasionally) and they haven't had any issues with their career. Although I have seen a thread on allnurses talking about a woman being fired from her job because she tested positive for Marijuana during a random drug test at work. So my question is, why do some people get FIRED for smoking marijuana but some don't and continue to advance in their career with no issues? Is it just because they didn't get caught through drug testing? Do Nurses know when their employers will be giving drug tests or how often?

Thanks!

Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.
BusyBee91 said:
I'm curious about people's thoughts and experiences with states that have decriminalized possession/use. Maryland is expected to move to civil penalties instead of criminal shortly. Any thoughts? The Baltimore Sun

Would that make possession of a small amount a misdemeanor and not a felony?

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, Med/Surg.
icuRNmaggie said:
Would that make possession of a small amount a misdemeanor and not a felony?

No, a misdemeanor is still a lesser criminal offense than a felony. If the penalty is civil, it wouldn't even be a misdemeanor.

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I cannot even believe you thought that would be ok. It is discussed at GREAT LENGTHS at the beginning of the nursing program and at the end. If a nurse applying for a job says "I didnt know" they are lying.

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I have liberal views on the topic and have partaken in the past but I wouldn't risk it. I'm a nursing student and know my days of smoking are long gone now, luckily I never enjoyed it that much anyway. I do think it's a huge irony that MJ of all things stays in your system for longer than anything. I do hope better tests come in the future that are a bit more accurate and can provide more information.

Reading this thread makes me wonder- I recently was diagnosed with ADHD and received a script for amphetamine/Adderal. Is this something I could get in trouble for? I assumed I'd be okay with a script and now I'm starting to wonder. The irony is that I finally got the diagnosis and script to help me be a SAFER nurse.

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I am some what confused about how many nurses think it is ok to smoke marijuana or even worse; think it should be legalized. I have had numerous heated conversations about the subject and I always end with the same statement! Would you want your child smoking pot! It is absolutely absurd to think pot should be legalized in any state. Yes, it is true that it alcohol may be more dangerous but what does that have to do with anything. Let's legalize pot because it's not as bad as alcohol. That's crazy!!!!!!!! Let's legalize pot because it's not as bad as opioids ! I'm not really sure what to think about what I'm hearing !!!except crazy!

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to Shelbystar! If BON ever knew you were taking this I can almost guarantee your license will be under review or taken. Whether you have a proper do or not. Be careful and be smart.

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Shelbystarr-Yes you are completely fine with a Rx from your MD.

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Omaapecm-I dont know what state you are in but here in alabama, as well as all states it is completely fine if she has a rx from her doctor. Unless you have been disciplined in the past. There are many nurses who take legal rx who are not "investigated" by the BON just because they have one.

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Specializes in Medsurg, Rehab, LTC, Instructor, Hospice.

In the U.S today, more than 20 states with more than 20 percent of the population have statutes which recognize the legal therapeutic use of herbal cannabis or cannabinoid-based medicinal preparations. Another dozen or so have CBD-only laws which authorize the use of low-THC, high-CBD content cannabis.

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cayenne06 said:
1. Marijuana should be legalized on the federal level for recreational and medical use. Marijuana is less harmful and less impairing than alcohol. The war on drugs has had an overwhelmingly negative effect in our society.

2. Nurses should never, ever, report to work under the influence of any drug, legal or not.

3. Marijuana is federally illegal, even if you have a marijuana "prescription." Your workplace is not obligated to continue your employment if you test positive, even with an Rx. Your BON can treat a positive marijuana screen just the same as a positive opiate screen.

4. Smoking pot while working as an RN is a crapshoot. Even if your job doesn't do random screens, you still run the risk of being tested if there is a med discrepancy in your pyxis or you make an error providing patient care. Regardless of your personal feelings about marijuana, this is just the truth. I know plenty of health care workers who smoke pot- nurses, APNs, and MDs. A significant percentage of the population uses marijuana on a regular basis. Again, this is just the truth. It is almost a surety that at least one of your personal health care providers uses marijuana.

5. This is not a debate about our personal feelings about marijuana. If you smoke pot, you could potentially lose your freedom to practice nursing. Do I think this is right? No. It's ridiculous. Marijauna users are no more likely to have a drug problem than occassional alcohol drinkers. In fact, maybe they are less likely to have a problem, considering how highly addictive etoh is.

Best post in this horribly misinformed thread. The ignorance regarding marijuana that exists in so many people is astounding. I'm sure they are completely ignorant as to why it became illegal in the first place. The growing body of evidence regarding the benefits of cannabis use in adults, especially when being used medicinally (in replace of the prescription synthetic heroin prescribed by doctors getting paid by pharmaceutical companies) is astounding. The fact that someone used cannabis 2 weeks ago and can get fired for being at work totally un-impaired due to a positive urine test is disgusting. Luckily, there are devices being produced now that can detect impairment in real time, not just THC that could have been in your body for weeks. How about we start firing fat nurses who take longer than fit nurses to waddle over to get the crash cart during a code? I've seen nurses huff and puff because they had to quickly walk to get a crash cart or defibrillator. Maybe the patient would have lived if they were defibrillated 20 seconds earlier? Sounds insane, right?

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One never can assume they know how often a drug test might be given. A person can go to work one day, have a on the job injury and when those happen many employers do a drug test on them and it doesn't matter if you weren't at fault, ( example getting bite by a patient) If the drug test comes back for positive drug use or alcohol abuse, work comp is denied and your job is likely firing you for substance abuse on the job.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Just because someone has a prescription for a drug does Not mean that they are free to work while under the effects if the drug.

There are no medical indications for MJ with the exceptions of HIV and MS. Being in a diversion program for years and having to hire a lawyer made my decision to quit quite easy.

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