Medical Marijuana and Employee’s Rights

Medical marijuana provides benefits that open up treatment options for a wide range of health conditions. On top of relieving mental health symptoms such as anxiety and depression, you can also use cannabis products to address physical health conditions that include IBS, glaucoma and epilepsy. Now that 38 states have opened up the ability to use medical marijuana, and knowing your rights makes it easier to fit cannabis into your health care plan.

Know Your Rights As a Medical Marijuana Consumer

Florida has the highest number of legal medical marijuana patients, with 821,755 people listed as using cannabis for health purposes in 2023. If you take into account the entire United States, then the number of people impacted by medical marijuana reaches into the millions. Considering that this reflects a large number of the workforce, employers have had to take notice.

Currently, around 20 states have policies in place that are meant to help stop discrimination against medical cannabis users. Many of these policies prohibit employers from using medical marijuana use as a justification for turning someone down for a job. For example, marijuana may not be included in a drug screening for many companies, or you might be able to furnish a medical marijuana prescription to have a positive result dismissed from an employment decision.

Understand the Difference Between Recreational and Medical Use

Medical marijuana patients tend to enjoy more rights as an employees compared to those who use cannabis products recreationally. Today, many employers view marijuana and alcohol as being the same. This usually means that employers understand that you may use marijuana outside of work, but they might not allow you to use it while you are on the job.

With medical marijuana, however, some states and employers may allow for more leniency regarding when you use your wellness products. People who use medical marijuana to treat diagnosed health conditions may fall under the definition of people who require employers to make accommodations for their health needs under the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Explore Cannabis-Friendly Career Paths

When medical marijuana is an important part of your care plan, you may need to explore potential industries where the use of cannabis products is generally accepted. Naturally, the cannabis industry is medical marijuana friendly, and you may find positions anywhere from within the agricultural side of the business to front-facing positions in customer service.

Since medical marijuana can sometimes have intoxicating effects, you may need to avoid positions that involve driving or working with heavy machinery. However, people who work in the software development, sales and real estate industries tend to enjoy greater leniency regarding medical marijuana use. The same is also true of industries with a high number of people who work remotely from home such as customer service and marketing.

As more people use medical marijuana, it is likely that even more employers will begin to recognize the importance of upholding their rights. For now, make sure to protect your rights by seeking a medical marijuana prescription and using your cannabis products responsibly. Doing so can help you address health issues that impact your employment while allowing you to enjoy a better quality of life whether you are at work or enjoying time off at home.