Posted on 09/20/2002 5:56:11 PM PDT by 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.
The article says he suffers from severe back pain and that he uses pot to relieve that pain. Now, does he just have the pain on weekends while relaxing at home? Does his pain go away when sitting at a computer for hours at the office? Isn't it remotly possible that this guy is just blowing smoke in more ways than one?
That said, I wasn't aware that marijuana relieved pain anyway. I'll try and find out.
The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on medical marijuana stated, "The accumulated data indicate a potential therapeutic value for cannabinoid drugs, particularly for symptoms such as pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation."
Source: Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A Benson, Jr., "Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base," Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999).
Evidently it does.
I don't know what the answer is. I know it is hard to stop people from doing things that sound fun to do. And meth creation as an illegal substance is actually putting my hobby at risk, because the mobile meth labs are being found in the public forests, and the cheapest answer to that is gates on the roads in. But I don't want a neighbor making it at home either, and would hate to NOT have the law on my side if they were. People explode alot making that crap.
Would the drug war make you crazy if pot were not a part of it?
If that person was taking that medication on the job and was involved in any kind of accident during work hours or on the way home after ingesting that drug at work then the employer would be liable if the dosage was such as to be impairing.
It was intentionaly - I need a lubricant before I fill them out and get screwed by the government :)
Believe me, everyone who wants to do drugs is already doing it. It's incredibly easy to get. Most high schoolers can get illicit (especially marijuana and ecstacy) drugs easier than alcohol.
Also, the economic costs of drugs themselves are but a fraction of the cost of the drug war. That's right, you could pay for all these druggies social costs and save money from what we are currently spending.
The younger set would grow up with less stigma attached to their use.
This is the most liberal logic I've seen. "It's for the children." First this won't stand up because it will still be illegal for those under 21. In fact, I'd recommend 10 years in prison or more with no chance of parole for anyone caught selling to someone 16-18, at least 25 years for someone under 16, and at least 2 years in prison for those selling it to 18-20 year olds.
-Furthermore, keeping them illegal creates drug gangs which in turn creates violence. Also drug dealers are encouraged to sell harder drugs to their MJ customers to increases their profits. White market forces don't work that way, as it is easier to track to whom what is being sold and less incentive to sell it to a minor.
That said, legalizing marijuana would drop the drug war costs in half. I'd be willing to drop the anti-drug war fight if it meant would could legalize MJ. Marijuana is less addictive, less harmful and less of a high than alcohol, and MJ is impossible to OD on. There is no reason it should be illegal and alcohol legal.
According to....hmmm? Lawyers? Experts from the pharmaceutical manufacturers? DEA? Hippiies/Narcotraffickers?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.