Should I speak with my employer before applying for a medicinal marijuana license?
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Emilee N asked:
I’m worried that they will discriminate against me simply for asking. I know employers have the right to terminate medical marijuana users on the grounds of drug use, so before I even consider that treatment route, I want to clear it through my employer. How would I go about doing this?
5 Comments
I just wouldnt tell them. Just don’t bring it to work and you should be fine.
Just ask about your employers policy regarding medicinal marijuana.
If you have a legitimate medical problem for which MJ has been recommended by your physician, then it is usually illegal for your employer to fire you for drug use. This will vary depending on what state/province you live in. The law in this area is still a bit murky, since MJ is still technically an illegal “narcotic”, but is also being used as a therapeutic “medicine” and there could be human rights issues.
There are relatively few legitimate indications for medical MJ…..and way more people who use it as an excuse to legitimize their recreational use.
Don’t bring it up at all until you have a legal prescription and licence. Once you actually have documentation to back yourself up you will be in a much better position. And if you have not really considered the medical marijuana treatment route then it may be you end up deciding against using it or your doctor may not want to prescribe it, or 100 other things could happen.
If you get to the point where you have documentation then you may want to talk to your boss or HR.
And don’t get misled, you can be fired for using medical marijuana, it is still a federally controlled schedule I controlled substance meaning it is illegal under federal law. Granted there is has not been an absolute ruling and it is complex but your employer can fire you. If you were fired because you took morphine for pain with a prescription and you were fired a court would easily be on your side since the law is clear.
Unless you have a serious condition for which MJ will help you and not “stress” or “anxiety” just don’t use it. Your employer does not need to know about your medical conditions or prescriptions unless there is a safety reason, but if you take random drug tests, it can pose a problem even with prescription. You may be protected, but if your employer does not support it and they find out, they can always find another reason to let you go. It is not worth the risk and like any other medicine, it comes with side effects. Use all medicines judiciously and only as needed as they all have harmful effects even MJ in spite of all that people say about it being so great for you. It may not be as harmful as other pharmaceuticals but it is not completely safe.