Weed and work.

[LDAthleteNurse]

A classmate of mine is a heavy cannabis user. To the point where he has not even applied for any positions yet because he is certain that his pre-screening drug test will come back positive. He says that he just has to stay clean long enough to pass the drug screening because "hospitals hardly ever drug tests to nurses."

How true is this? How often are nurses screened at YOUR facility? I was going to ask my preceptor, but I think me asking will look weird..

[GinaJo]

I'd take a pothead over a pillpopper. Pot smokers aren't using at work and therefore aren't a risk to me. If they are getting through nursing school, I'd say memory is not an issue. Even a wake and baker isn't stoned 24/7 and will pass through society as a safe employee like the rest of us. Now would I personally risk my license (that I don't even have) for any drug? No. It's not worth it to me but I know enough pot users to not need to vilify them because in my personal experience they are the best employees.

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

I've been an RN for 30 years. I've only ever been drug tested pre-employment except for once when a co-worker was diverting morphine into her leg. We all had to get tested that day. They later arrested her.

Several of of my drug tests have been hair analysis which goes back months. Hard to abstain just for that if your friend is a habitual user,

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

My D did a summer internship for an oil and gas firm. She was drug tested-urine and hair. One of her friends lost his internship because of the hair test.

[toomuchbaloney]

In my view, if we want to know why so many people are subjected to a very broad urine test for cannabis we should follow the money. These tests are BIG money for the drug testing industry even though they in no way determine impairment in the cannabis user. Those general tests are promoted and a zero tolerance for presence of cannabis metabolites is encouraged because it is good for the business model of the drug test companies.

Forbes Welcome

Some states are beginning to change their laws relative to urine testing of citizens for conditions of employment and the "zero tolerance" of cannabis metabolites.

Arizona for example; Arizona Revised Statutes 36-2801, 2813 (2104) states in part: An employer may not discriminate against a person in hiring, termination or imposing any term or condition of employment….for a registered qualifying patient's positive drug test for marijuana components or metabolites, unless the patient used, possessed or was impaired by marijuana on the premises of the place of employment or during the hours of employment.”

As we continue to evolve out of the dark ages relative to cannabis I anticipate that more states and corporate interests will realize that they are wasting a great deal of money based upon a decades old propaganda campaign. Just like with testing welfare recipients, the upfront costs of such testing for cannabis generally exceeds the benefits, in most real world application. More employers are beginning to understand that a postive urine test does not equal impairment AND cannot even provide an idea of how recently the person partook or how much they used. It is so general that it basically indicates that, yeah, this person used marijuana sometime in the past month.

[Farawyn]

Well, yea. That's what I was asking.

As it becomes more and more legal and accepted, wouldn't the level matter...and would places of employment want to spend the money for more sophisticated testing?

[cyc0sys]

I know a couple of ICU nurses who enjoy their prescribed xanax and klonopin with a glass of wine or two off hours. No one bats an eye at that. So a few IPAs seems like child's play in my book if your not driving. I've been known to knock back a few gins and tonics with the Docs after work but I never felt like it was tarnishing anyone's crown. If you don't blow off some steam now and again it puts you at risk for being judgmental and something other than human.

[Farawyn]

I know a couple of ICU nurses who enjoy their prescribed xanax and klonopin with a glass of wine or two off hours. No one bats an eye at that. So a few IPAs seems like child's play in my book if your not driving. I've been known to knock back a few gins and tonics with the Docs after work but I never felt like it was tarnishing anyone's crown. If you don't blow off some steam now and again it puts you at risk for being judgmental and something other than human.

Blowing off steam and what the OP described are 2 different things, at least legally, right now. OP's friend is screwed if he is drug tested and he won't get a job.

That's not judgment, them's the facts.

"Enjoying" some klonopin and Xanax with some wine is a whole other ball of wax that I'm not touching.