Marijuana

[sfachine]

Recreational cannabis will be legal for over half the US population in 2020
What are your thoughts about pharmacists using it for enjoyment or relaxation or anything else they want to use it for.
Is the negative stigma finally over?

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[zelman]

Recreational cannabis will be legal for over half the US population in 2020
What are your thoughts about pharmacists using it for enjoyment or relaxation or anything else they want to use it for.
Is the negative stigma finally over?

No. We’re still in facilities licensed by the DEA.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

It will be legalized within 5 years, IMO. It's better for you than than ethanol and everyone uses that.

 

[Sparda29]

Recreational cannabis will be legal for over half the US population in 2020
What are your thoughts about pharmacists using it for enjoyment or relaxation or anything else they want to use it for.
Is the negative stigma finally over?

I smoke a fat blunt every day when I get home from my 11 hour shift, pop a melatonin 10 mg as well while drinking some green tea and it's lucid dreaming for the next 7 hours.

 

[Sparda29]

No. We’re still in facilities licensed by the DEA.

Quick Fix 2.0

 

[zelman]

Quick Fix 2.0

i don’t follow...

 

[Chrish]

I am anti-drug in general so I would be against it. And I would have hard time respecting healthcare folks who do use it.

Having said that, I support legalization. Government can use that tax money toward resolving the healthcare crisis.

 

[gwarm01]

It will be legalized within 5 years, IMO. It's better for you than than ethanol and everyone uses that.

There's the real rub imo. Cannabis does not wreck your body like alcohol. It doesn't give hangovers, at least not nearly as severe as alcohol. It is also legal for medical and recreational use in my state. We literally license healthcare providers to use it in practice. Yet employers can freely fire you for failing a drug test (not a sobriety test), and the state can remove your medical license even if you use it legitimately as a medical marijuana patient. It's hypocritical, wasteful, and idiotic. A war on drugs mindset that isn't based on any fact.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to drink some whisky to ease the pain. Hope this doesn't catch up to me in 20 years!

 

[sfachine]

Let me get this.If the drug is legal for recreational use where you live and you test positive for it in a pre employment drug screen they can deny you a job?That does not make sense.

 

[BenJammin]

No. We’re still in facilities licensed by the DEA.

What does that matter? If marijuana is descheduled then what role do they play in this? The DEA can't stop pharmacists who chew gum.

 

[zelman]

What does that matter? If marijuana is descheduled then what role do they play in this? The DEA can't stop pharmacists who chew gum.

That’s not what the question was about. It was about an environment where states have no laws against marijuana use, but it remains federally illegal.

 

[KARM12]

There are a lot of uncertainties. An employer can fire you for coming to work under the influence of alcohol...can they fire you for coming to work high? Yes. I am sure most places where safety of patients is involved will have policies against use.

 

[gwarm01]

There are a lot of uncertainties. An employer can fire you for coming to work under the influence of alcohol...can they fire you for coming to work high? Yes. I am sure most places where safety of patients is involved will have policies against use.

No argument against firing someone for coming into work high. My objection is firing someone for usage in their own time when they are a legitimate medical patient, or live in a recreational state. This will be reality for healthcare until federal laws change.

 

[Sparda29]

i don’t follow...

I'm guessing you meant we still get drug tested.

Quick Fix 2.0 is synthetic urine. I used it for 3 pre-employment drug screens and passed all of them.

 

[zelman]

I'm guessing you meant we still get drug tested.

Quick Fix 2.0 is synthetic urine. I used it for 3 pre-employment drug screens and passed all of them.

Not really what I was addressing. We aren’t “murderer tested” and I simply expect my coworkers are not actively homicidal. Same deal. If either situation comes to light, it’s a legal/employment problem.

 

[owlegrad]

What does that matter? If marijuana is descheduled then what role do they play in this? The DEA can't stop pharmacists who chew gum.

“If marijuana is descheduled”...isn’t that the issue? Federally still a CI, isn’t it?

 

[zelman]

It will be legalized within 5 years, IMO. It's better for you than than ethanol and everyone uses that.

I mean, not everyone. But enough people that your point is valid.

 

[confettiflyer]

Let me get this.If the drug is legal for recreational use where you live and you test positive for it in a pre employment drug screen they can deny you a job?That does not make sense.

Just because something is legal doesn’t mean a private party (employer) has to agree.

Like dying your hair purple is legal, but an employer can have a policy not letting you have purple hair at work. So long as that policy doesn’t discriminate (directly or indirectly) a protected class, it can stand.

It gets messy with marijuana because states are allowing use, but federally it’s still not recognized... so you can’t claim discrimination against a medical condition because that’s a federal law.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

 

[Dred Pirate]

I fully support the legalization of it. Legit arguments that is is safer than ETOH, and has less other health consequences.
Even thou it is legal in many states, that pesky law that the feds say it is illegal causes issues.
1. I have no problem with a Rph using it provided they are not under the influence while at work.
2. Your employer can still fire you bc it is federally illegal, so I would never recommend it - not worth the risk.
3. When it be comes fully legal, I will be first in line.

 

[gwarm01]

Just because something is legal doesn’t mean a private party (employer) has to agree.

Like dying your hair purple is legal, but an employer can have a policy not letting you have purple hair at work. So long as that policy doesn’t discriminate (directly or indirectly) a protected class, it can stand.

It gets messy with marijuana because states are allowing use, but federally it’s still not recognized... so you can’t claim discrimination against a medical condition because that’s a federal law.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

Following along this point, some hospitals will not hire nicotine users. I once worked for an institution that tested for nicotine along with other drugs, and testing positive would result in revocation of your job offer. Basically, private employers can discriminate against anything that isn't a protected class. Hell, they are even pretty good at finding ways around that one half the time.

 

[JustFillIt]

Hell yea! I’ll burn one down..

 

[NITRAS]

No argument against firing someone for coming into work high. My objection is firing someone for usage in their own time when they are a legitimate medical patient, or live in a recreational state. This will be reality for healthcare until federal laws change.

Using/Rxing marijuana is breaking federal law. At this moment, they are choosing to only selectively enforce those laws. Every 2 years, all of Congress and 1/3 of the Senate can change.

Do you want to risk your livelihood on a substance that has has wide local and regional variation and generally questionable medical benefit?

No thanks.

 

[PikminOC]

I am anti-drug in general so I would be against it. And I would have hard time respecting healthcare folks who do use it.

Having said that, I support legalization. Government can use that tax money toward resolving the healthcare crisis.

Yet create another healthcare crisis. We finally decreased cigarette smoking

 

[Chrish]

Yet create another healthcare crisis. We finally decreased cigarette smoking

The way I see it, legal or illegal people are gonna do this stuff regardless. Might as well make some tax money that can be used.

Same thing with prostitution. Legalize it with mandatory health checkups.

 

[zelman]

Let me get this.If the drug is legal for recreational use where you live and you test positive for it in a pre employment drug screen they can deny you a job?That does not make sense.

Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy - Carroll Hospital Center

Frequently Asked Questions about Tobacco Cessation & Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy at Carroll Hospital

www.carrollhospitalcenter.org

You don’t have to hire someone simply because they aren’t breaking the law.

 

[PikminOC]

The way I see it, legal or illegal people are gonna do this stuff regardless. Might as well make some tax money that can be used.

Same thing with prostitution. Legalize it with mandatory health checkups.

Evanston will use recreational marijuana sales tax proceeds to fund local reparations program

Evanston council members voted to earmark the city's marijuana sales tax revenue to a local reparations program.

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[PikminOC]

The way I see it, legal or illegal people are gonna do this stuff regardless. Might as well make some tax money that can be used.

Same thing with prostitution. Legalize it with mandatory health checkups.

Colorado now ranks first in the nation for past month marijuana use by those 12-17 years old, according to National Surveys on Drug Use and Health data released in December by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.”

“We never foresaw how aggressive and powerful the financial interests behind this new billion-dollar industry would become.”

 

[sfachine]

Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy - Carroll Hospital Center

Frequently Asked Questions about Tobacco Cessation & Nicotine-Free Hiring Policy at Carroll Hospital

www.carrollhospitalcenter.org

You don’t have to hire someone simply because they aren’t breaking the law.

Colorado now ranks first in the nation for past month marijuana use by those 12-17 years old, according to National Surveys on Drug Use and Health data released in December by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.”

“We never foresaw how aggressive and powerful the financial interests behind this new billion-dollar industry would become.”

Send the link to the study please

 

[PikminOC]

Lessons Learned - Smart Colorado

smartcolorado.org

 

[sfachine]

Is that the best you and an anti drug group could come up with?

 

[zelman]

Is that the best you and an anti drug group could come up with?

We have no horse in this race. Calm down.

 

[JustFillIt]

I just want to dust off my old VHS - “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”

Or - “Pink Floyd The Wall”

Hmmmm... Army of Darkness was a good one to watch too. “Shop Smart, Shop S Mart”. I’m still laughing from that scene

 

[PikminOC]

Correlation doesn't equal causation. Looking at the study you cited, the percent of past-month marijuana use in Colorado for 12-17 year-olds did not change significantly between 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Also, recreational legalization went into effect in January, 2014, and using 2013-2014 data is probably too preemptive to draw conclusions on what impact legalization of recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older has had on adolescent marijuana use.

Looking at more recent data:

"Among youth aged 12–17 in Colorado, the annual average percentage of marijuana use in the past month did not significantly change between 2002–2005 and 2014–2017."

And although not significant, past month use among 12-17 year-olds actually trended downward from an average of 10.5% in 2002-2005, to an average of 9% in 2014-2017.

It is quite sensationalist to say that 2013-2014 data showed Colorado to have the highest percent of past-month marijuana use in youth aged 12-17 and it's because of legal marijuana. It could be an outlier, as suggested by data that covers longer periods of time. Not to mention that this data doesn't tell us anything about why the percent use is what it is. Rhode Island has had consistently higher percentages of youth marijuana use compared to Colorado, and RI has not legalized recreational marijuana.

As it is getting legalized in more states, even in the states where it is not, kids are thinking it is more and more safe.

 

[Old Timer]

The real answer with MJ is WE DON'T KNOW what the effects are. We won't know for sure until people start using it more now that it is legal. After 50 years we will know. Also, you can't compare an alcoholic's use of alcohol with a recreational user of MJ and say see it's safer. The data is not in and it won't be in for a long time. That's all we can say for sure. That being said, it's a free country and if you want to get stoned, have at it, just don't drive a car or fill my prescription while you are stoned.

One thing is pretty clear. It's not good for the teenage brain. And most if the studies showing that are old when the THC levels of pot were way lower than they were when I smoked in the 1970's......

 

[Sine Cura]

Anything to take the edge off white despair I'm for.

 

[JustFillIt]

The real answer with MJ is WE DON'T KNOW what the effects are.

Oh I’m pretty sure We know what the effects are..

 

[JustFillIt]

I'm guessing you meant we still get drug tested.

Quick Fix 2.0 is synthetic urine. I used it for 3 pre-employment drug screens and passed all of them.

I’m pretty sure your just joking (as am I in my several above posts)... But if this is true this would be dangerous and wreck less.

I think we know (for light casual users) that thc hangs out in the body for something like 2-3 days. This would be the case for someone that smokes like once or twice a month.

I would honestly have no problem with a pharmacist that had a 3 day weekend in front of them and they casually smoked on their first night off. For example, it’s Thursday night and you have Fri-Sunday off and you casually smoked a little on Thursday night.. Maybe you just really wanted to see what all the fuss is about when you line up Dark Side of the Moon with Wizard if Oz.. By Monday I believe you would pass a drug test and it would be out of your system. Or, if you are on vacation and you let loose a bit. This is responsible use and I don’t see that affecting your judgement when dealing with patients.

Now - someone who whales on the bong at 9pm the night before a 9am shift is being wreckless and irresponsible. You would have drug in your system and would still likely be under the influence at some level. And you would certainly fail a drug test. This is wreckless and if a drug error happened it begs the question as to wether or not the drugs had something to do with it.

The truth is a professional takes in certain responsibilities within their personal life for the best interest of their career and the people that they serve.

If a medical professional wants to burn one down it needs to be in a responsible manner that has respect for the safety and well being of their patients. In this way I would say go for it. Otherwise, we really do not have any business abusing drugs.

I would say however, the biggest problem with this thinking is the fact that the majority of folks that are interested in doing drugs are not the type that can just casually do it under controlled circumstances... instead they are driven to do it as much as possible. This is the nature of the beast.

 

[zelman]

I’m pretty sure your just joking (as am I in my several above posts)... But if this is true this would be dangerous and wreck less.

I think we know (for light casual users) that thc hangs out in the body for something like 2-3 days. This would be the case for someone that smokes like once or twice a month.

I would honestly have no problem with a pharmacist that had a 3 day weekend in front of them and they casually smoked on their first night off. For example, it’s Thursday night and you have Fri-Sunday off and you casually smoked a little on Thursday night.. Maybe you just really wanted to see what all the fuss is about when you line up Dark Side of the Moon with Wizard if Oz.. By Monday I believe you would pass a drug test and it would be out of your system. Or, if you are on vacation and you let loose a bit. This is responsible use and I don’t see that affecting your judgement when dealing with patients.

Now - someone who whales on the bong at 9pm the night before a 9am shift is being wreckless and irresponsible. You would have drug in your system and would still likely be under the influence at some level. And you would certainly fail a drug test. This is wreckless and if a drug error happened it begs the question as to wether or not the drugs had something to do with it.

The truth is a professional takes in certain responsibilities within their personal life for the best interest of their career and the people that they serve.

If a medical professional wants to burn one down it needs to be in a responsible manner that has respect for the safety and well being of their patients. In this way I would say go for it. Otherwise, we really do not have any business abusing drugs.

I would say however, the biggest problem with this thinking is the fact that the majority of folks that are interested in doing drugs are not the type that can just casually do it under controlled circumstances... instead they are driven to do it as much as possible. This is the nature of the beast.

Reckless. The word is “reckless”.

 

[JustFillIt]

Reckless. The word is “reckless”.

Yea wreckless... that’s what I said.

 

[Old Timer]

Oh I’m pretty sure We know what the effects are..

In all seriousness we do not know the long term effects of the of MJ

 

[JustFillIt]

In all seriousness we do not know the long term effects of the of MJ

I think it is safe to say that the long term effects of the regular abuse of any drug is, “not good”..

In any case, we could not assume positive outcomes.. I don’t care if there are no statistics to back that up..

 

[BidingMyTime]

Let me get this.If the drug is legal for recreational use where you live and you test positive for it in a pre employment drug screen they can deny you a job?That does not make sense.

1) Because federal law *always* trumps state law. How did you pass your pharmacy law exam without knowing that? Marijuana IS illegal in all 50 states, because federal says it is so. Many states have chosen to decriminalize it and ignore it's usage.....this doesn't mean that a federal DEA agent couldn't arrest and prosecute your marijuana usage (thankfully, they aren't doing this, but legally they could.) Also, almost every business, as one of their many requirements to get insurance to protect their business against lawsuits, will require that employees not use marijuana. Businesses can do random drug tests (how often depends on the individual business.) As others mentioned above, there is no exception for medical marijuana users, and this has been upheld by several different state supreme courts. The ADA does not apply to non-federally recognized medical treatments, such as marijuana usage.

2) Even if marijuana were legal, and business insurance didn't require that employees not use it, business could still require employees not to use it. As mentioned above, hospitals, and indeed pretty much all hospitals at this point, will not allow employees to use tobacco. So, I highly doubt they would decide marijuana is OK. I agree, I don't see how constitutionally this makes any sense, but this is current court ruling.