URGENT - Medical marijuana

[Saddie_79]

Hello,

I am a nursing student and I wrote a paper on medical marijuana and was taken away tones of point for not saying that there is a possibility for a nurse to be taken away her license or even be arrested for administering it because it is not legal under Federal law...

I wrote the paper under the assumption any nurse would know whether or not it is legal in his/her state. (it's a safe assumption to make, right?!) Additionally, as nurses - we obtain state licenses to work, not federal. I understand the legal issue is convoluted and different by state - but it is still a legal and not necessarily a nursing issue. And I thought my assumption that a nurse would know the laws of her/his state and policies of her/his agency was safe. Apparently not.

Anyway, I am going to contest the grade today and I have been searching the Internet to see if a nurse could lose license over dispensing medical marijuana and I cannot find it anywhere. I want to feel confident when I go to discuss this with my teacher - so I am hoping to get some input here as well. Any and all info is more than welcome.

Thank you to all who spare some time to help me out!!!!

[oceanblue52]

There are several threads about this issue already, you can do a search on this website to find them. Or try Googling court cases about employees that were terminated after getting approved for medical pot.

[Saddie_79]

this is exactly what I am not looking for - I am not looking to see if nurses can get fired or license taken if THEY use medical marijuana!

I was told that nurses can lose license over ADMINISTERING medical marijuana! and I just don't see how that would be possible in a state where medical marijuana is legalized....So, I am trying to see if a nurse would be jeopardizing license or a job or personal freedom if he/she would ADMInister medical cannabis to a patient (or help with administration) in states where is it legal - because of the federal law....

I know it does not make much sense, but apparently there is a possibility. And I am just trying to investigate the possibility the best I can....

[Anonymous865]

Federal law prohibits using, buying, selling, possession, distribution, or cultivation of marijuana.

I guess a nurse could be charged and possibly convicted of a Federal crime for possession and/or distribution of marijuana. Then s/he would have to report this to the BON. The BON could then sanction the nurse's license for a criminal offense.

Currently the federal government has indicated that they are not going to pursue charging people for marijuana crimes in states where it is legal, but this could change at any time.