bluma5

This post is not about enabling illicit drug use or subsequent impaired performance, but about the potential case of disability discrimination if/when marijuana is medically legal in Florida without the opposition from federal law. Any nurse taking illegal/non-prescription substances, especially those which result in impaired work performance, is at risk of serious consequences to their career.

Well the addictive properties of cigarettes have contributed to on the job smoke breaks. With medical marijuana, doses may be scheduled (like in my case, only at bedtime) which do not correspond with working hours. Additionally, there are non-smokable forms that are being prescribed. This post is not about letting nurses come to work "high," dosing while on the job, or letting nurses smell like smoke in their scrubs; just the potential legal changes related to medicinal use for nursing professionals!

Previous court cases in which employees fought termination d/t + marijuana testing (medically-justified & in legal states) seem to have mostly favored employers due to being illegal under federal law! That is where my hope/curiosity comes from - under the notion that it would be medical discrimination once it is a legal medical substance. However you are probably right, studies related to any impairment on job performance could take a while to translate into the BON's literature, if they address it at all. If not, we can expect a whole lot of court cases Thanks for your input!

Very true!! Although, the tobacco discrimination originated I believe due to hospitals not wanting their nurses to engage in significantly unhealthy habits (detectable through smell on scrubs, frequent smoke breaks) which they then advise against to all their patients. The health detriments of cigarette smoking, as we all know, are closely related to the development or exacerbation of many acute and chronic illnesses. If medical marijuana came into play and was something being prescribed to our patients, I think it would be a different case! I guess only time will tell :)

I am a newly employed RN in Florida who gave up medical marijuana (I had my medical card) prior to starting nursing school. I had accepted the fact that I would not be able to benefit from marijuana while protecting my career and have been on various different medications for GAD and insomnia throughout these ~3 years. Unfortunately, I have experienced side effects from most of these medications (nausea/GI irritability, daytime drowsiness, impaired concentration, etc.) which are definitely not ideal, but still less debilitating than the original conditions. Upon hearing about the potential lift of the federal ban of marijuana earlier today, which would ultimately leave marijuana laws up to the states, I tried to research how this might affect Florida nurses who are eligible for medical cards, but could not find anything. These side effects often affect my concentration on the job, while the marijuana (taken at bedtime) did not provoke any adverse effects, so I am eager to see if it might be an option for me, and especially for nurses with more severe conditions, in the future. So my questions are: Would it just be up to the FL BON to update their policy? Could the FL BON continue to classify marijuana as grounds for termination/IPN/etc. even if medically-justified & the nurse isn't violating state or federal laws? Any knowledge or insight is greatly appreciated! :)