Man Fired for Pot Use Plans Court Test of Medical Marijuana Law

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[chance33_98]

Man Fired for Pot Use Plans Court Test of Medical Marijuana Law

A 40-year-old computer specialist from Sacramento is forcing a court test of a controversial state law allowing medical use of marijuana.

Gary Ross was fired when a drug test revealed he had recently used marijuana. Ross had worked at the $74,000 per year systems administrator job for only a week when he was dismissed.

Now he has filed suit against RagingWire Telecommunications, arguing that the marijuana had been prescribed by a physician as a means of relieving chronic back pain. Ross contends that the firing was illegal under the terms of a six-year-old California law allowing the use of marijuana as medicine. "I had gone through all the steps necessary to make sure it was perfectly legal," said Ross. "I don't know why they terminated me. I was very surprised."

RagingWire Telecommunications replied with a written a statement that said, in part, "Mr. Ross signed and accepted an offer for a position that required [full time] on-call availability. Mr. Ross failed to inform the company he was using marijuana for medicinal purposes prior to receiving his offer letter."

California courts must now decide if an employer can choose which medications are off limits. Ross said he doesn't really want to be the flag bearer for a cause. Instead, he said he just wants justice. "I don't really consider myself a test case," said Ross. "I just consider myself an employee who was wrongfully terminated."

Ross claims he tried nearly everything to relieve pain from a 20-year-old back injury before turning to marijuana. He finally tried the drug after his doctor recommended it. "It's been the best medication I've taken for my back since my injury," said Ross.

Ross said he could have avoided using marijuana in the weeks prior to his drug test, but felt that would be admitting he's doing something wrong.

[rb22982]

And you fail to realize the problems caused by drug abuse. Broken families, wasted lives, criminality, etc. etc.

As opposed to alcohol, tobacco, and in some cases MMORPGs and other addictive things. Let me repeat. YOU ARE NOT STOPPING DRUG USE. If and that's a big if, you were WINNING the drug war, then maybe you would have a point. However, what do you think happens to families when their daddy is thrown in prison for marijuana? The family is still broken, and the lives are still wasted, and now the rest of the family has lost a source of income.

Since time began there has been a war against murder, rape, theft, etc. etc. Should we give up those "wars" also?

When people commit violence, they need to be locked up, in all cases. When they commit violence when under the influence (of anything) they should get double the penalty at least. When people sell to minors they should get a huge prison sentence.

[Dane]

Well then you admitted it, you know nothing about todays drug culture then.

I don't want to know anything about it. You are the one who seems to glorify it. Anyway a drug culture, is a drug culture, is a drug culture. They have one thing in common is glorification of drugs.

And yes I realize the world does not revolve around drugs, although as much as you like to come on these threads, one would think that you seem to think it does also.

Uh you are the who started the debate. Don't get mad when someone dares question King rb22982.

[rb22982]

don't want to know anything about it.

Then why do you talk like you still do?

You are the one who seems to glorify it. Anyway a drug culture, is a drug culture, is a drug culture. They have one thing in common is glorification of drugs

This is true, but the same is equally true of alcohol and tobacco. This still is not justification for locking people up for hurting themselves--especially when you are losing the drug war.

Uh you are the who started the debate. Don't get mad when someone dares question King rb22982.

Wrong once again. You did, in post 152.

[JediGirl]

Since time began there has been a war against murder, rape, theft, etc. etc. Should we give up those "wars" also?

Make a note: rape and theft are crimes directly committed against another individual. They are always meant to harm somebody else.

[Dane]

However, what do you think happens to families when their daddy is thrown in prison for marijuana? The family is still broken, and the lives are still wasted, and now the rest of the family has lost a source of income.

Oh please spare me the tired bleeding heart liberal rhetoric. Hardly anyone gets thrown in jail for a joint and you know it.

Just an opinion maybe you should leave college and see how the real world works. You will have to someday, unless you are going to try to live in the womb of academia forever.

[rb22982]

In 2000, 46.5 percent of the 1,579,566 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana -- a total of 734,497. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession alone. This is an increase over 1999, when a total of 704,812 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 620,541 were for possession alone.

Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 2000 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 2001), pp. 215-216, Tables 29 and 4.1; Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1999 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 2000), pp. 211-212; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1998 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1999), pp. 209-210; FBI, UCR for the US 1995 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1996), pp. 207-208; FBI, UCR for the US 1990 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1991), pp. 173-174; FBI, UCR for the US 1980 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1981), pp. 189-191.

Btw I am in the real world. I work full time, pay for my apartment, my car, my insurance, my part time college, my food and everything else. Your condescending attitude is absolutely pathetic.

[Dane]

This is true, but the same is equally true of alcohol and tobacco. This still is not justification for locking people up for hurting themselves--especially when you are losing the drug war.

Losing the drug war? Hmm since 1979 drug use has been halved. You weren't around in the late 70's but it sure seems that you want to return to it. Take it from someone who knows, it wasn't a good time in America.

[Dane]

In 2000, 46.5 percent of the 1,579,566 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana -- a total of 734,497. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession alone

Uh there is a word missing. Its called incarceration. Nice try to mislead.

[rb22982]

It is difficult to measure illicit drug use rates because this is an illegal activity. The government relies on surveys to determine the level of use, and under-reporting is common because illicit drug use is heavily stigmatized in the US. (click for additional information)

[National Research Council, "Informing America’s Policy On Illegal Drugs" (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001): "It is widely thought that nonresponse and inaccurate response may cause surveys such as the NHSDA and MTF to underestimate the prevalence of drug use in the surveyed populations (Caspar, 1992)." (p. 93)]

Federal surveys show an increase in use, especially by adolescents, since 1990.

["Monitoring The Future: National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2000, Volume 1: Secondary School Students" (Washington, DC: National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2001), p. 115, and and "Volume II: College Students and Young Adults Ages 19-40," p. 102.]

More reliable data on trends is overdose deaths and emergency room mentions of drugs. These numbers have escalated consistently since the 1980s, and both are at record highs.

[Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, US Dept. of Health and Human Services, "Year-End 2000 Emergency Room Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (Washington, DC: DHHS, July 2001), p. 2.]

[rb22982]

If someone is arrested for marijuana it still goes on their record and can have trouble getting into colleges and landing a job which is just as bad. Nice try to get around that.

[Dane]

You can put up all the "studies" you want. I guess it makes you "feel" important, like it or nor not(you probably don't like it) but drug use is way down since the late-70's.

Like I said before late 70's America was not a good time.

[rb22982]

You toss aside all the facts.

70s America was not a good time for far more than the drug culture. Rampant inflation, recession, vietnam, iran hostage crisis, etc.

Also as was noted, more people have died from drug usage since the 70s than in the 70s and drug use has gone up in the 90s.

[Dane]

If someone is arrested for marijuana it still goes on their record and can have trouble getting into colleges and landing a job which is just as bad. Nice try to get around that.

Ahh, they can't get a student loan, that they will probably default on. Good let them work in the real world. That is where you get a real education.

[rb22982]

Not just a student loan, just getting into college (or expelled) is difficult.

Good let them work in the real world. That is where you get a real education.

Exactly how do you propose you get a real world job that is half way decent without an education.

that they will probably default on

I assume you have studies to back up this claim /sarcasm

[Dane]

Also as was noted, more people have died from drug usage since the 70s than in the 70s and drug use has gone up in the 90s.

Whew that is convuluded. Anyway drug usage is way down from it's peak in the late 70's and the uptick in the 90's can be attributed to the cultural pollution of the well known 60's radicals the Clintons, IMO.

And don't give the line of bull that Clinton was a drug warrior. I know you will post article after article saying that he was, but when has it been proven that the Clinton's ever tell the truth.

[JediGirl]

Policy speaks louder than words.

[Dane]

Exactly how do you propose you get a real world job that is half way decent without an education

Why don't you go ask Bill Gates. Harvard drop out. Yes he is the most prominent college drop out, but there are millions of people who have become successful without going to college.

Your above italicized post is a fallacy and propaganda for the educational(leftist) establishment.

[Luis Gonzalez]

The Law (in California) allows marijuana use for medicinal purposes. The man has a legitimate prescription for marijuana from a legitimate doctor.

He was fired for doing something completely legal.

The company is wrong, but not nearly as wrong as you are.

[rb22982]

In 1969, $65 million was spent by the Nixon administration on the drug war; in 1982 the Reagan administration spent $1.65 billion; and in 2000 the Clinton administration spent more than $17.9 billion.

Sources: U.S. Congress, Hearings on Federal Drug Enforcement before the Senate Committee on Investigations, 1975 and 1976 (1976); Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Drug Control Strategy, 1992: Budget Summary (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1992), p. 214; Office of National Drug Control Policy, National Drug Control Budget Executive Summary, Fiscal Year 2002 (Washington DC: Executive Office of the President, April 9, 2001), p. 2, Table 1.

(Note the above figure doesn't include the aid we sent to Columbia, Afgh. etc to fight the drug war there either)

In 2000, 46.5 percent of the 1,579,566 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana -- a total of 734,497. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession alone. This is an increase over 1999, when a total of 704,812 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 620,541 were for possession alone.

Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 2000 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 2001), pp. 215-216, Tables 29 and 4.1; Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1999 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 2000), pp. 211-212; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 1998 (Washington DC: US Government Printing Office, 1999), pp. 209-210; FBI, UCR for the US 1995 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1996), pp. 207-208; FBI, UCR for the US 1990 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1991), pp. 173-174; FBI, UCR for the US 1980 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1981), pp. 189-191.

Seems that Clinton spent the most and arrested the most people for drugs.

[rb22982]

Nonsense, your pointing to Bill Gates just shows how little you know. In order to get a job even close to where bill gates started from, you'll need to learn C++, ASP, Java, Pascal, COBOL and all the other programming languages, plus become completely MSCE in Server, XP, Networking, A+ cert, Novell, Cisco, etc.. Good luck teaching yourself all of that. Bill Gates got started at the very very beginning when it was by today's terms comparitively easy to learn and very little competition.

And yes it is possible to get a good job without a college degree, but the facts show college educated students earn far more than those who do not.