Contributor: KC Scannell
Many may not be fully aware, but before states go ahead and legalize recreational cannabis, they often test the waters with a period of medicinal-only marijuana. In this brief experimentation phase, any citizen who feels like their varying ailments would benefit from the implementation of cannabis into their daily routine, are required to visit their primary physician in order to get a professional’s recommendation.
Teacher In Illinois Criticized By Peers For Medical Marijuana Use
This recommendation (often referred to as a “rec”) officially declares that that person may legally visit any medical marijuana shop in their home state. At that point, it’s basically business as usual. They can buy or grow their own cannabis, within the restrictions put into place by the state. Then, obviously, they are legally allowed to partake in marijuana as a form of natural medicine to relieve their pain and help them live more comfortable lives.
However, as nice as that sounds, it comes along with a few negative aspects.
One, med-only shops in states that are still in the infancy of legalization aren’t the easiest to find, nor are there a lot of them to go around. So, in some cases, patients will have to endure a lengthy commute solely to get their hands on some much-needed bud. Also, medicinal-grade products usually possess a bit more potency and reliability. And, with more strength, comes higher prices.
So, taking all that into consideration, these people who truly need cannabis to feel better have to go through a series of steps, and clear a bunch of hurdles, only to (potentially) travel far out of their way to overpay for marijuana. Which, on the surface, already sounds like a bit of a bummer. But, we haven’t even mentioned the amount of judgment they face from their family, friends, and coworkers who share the same archaic mindset about marijuana as the federal government.
Only recently has marijuana grown to become a widely accepted form of medicine. Back in those med-only days, the average person still looked down on the typical cannabis enthusiast. These same folks would judge med-only patients with the utmost harshness and assume completely unfounded things about their lifestyle, personality, and overall character. Which, if you can’t already tell, is more than rude – it’s an unjust attack on that person who bravely chose the cannabis route to pain relief.
In short, people who rely on marijuana as a therapeutic avenue towards comfort shouldn’t be ridiculed for their decision to utilize cannabis to improve their quality of life. And they most definitely shouldn’t lose their jobs over it. That would just seem absurd, right? Well, unfortunately, in the great state of Illinois, that’s still very much a reality.
Last week, a teacher who was medically using cannabis to deal with ongoing pain from arthritis officially filed a lawsuit against the Valley View School District 365U, after she felt like she was being harassed and judged by her coworkers when it became known that she is a medical marijuana enthusiast.
In her official statement regarding the charges, she cited that their knowledge of her medical marijuana use has led to a “hostile work environment” (amongst other things). She even mentioned how an administrator of hers judgingly pressed her about it, snarkily inquiring things like, “You smoke weed?” and other rude comments of this nature. He’d even pry to see what for and why.
It was all incredibly obnoxious, off-putting, and intrusive – to say the least.
There have been a few reports about this teacher, and she’s so worried about her future that she’s chosen to remain anonymous to avoid any further, unforeseen scrutiny for her desire to live a comfortable life with the help of medical marijuana. It has been learned that she works in Romeoville, however. So, if you happen to be a member of the school board there, you should be ashamed of yourself.
But what’s really crazy about this ordeal is, if they choose to drug test her, they can fire her for using marijuana, even though she’s been medically and legally cleared to do so by the state. Due to some loopholes in the legislation, these school administrators still maintain that puzzling power to do that. However, lawmakers are working to right that wrong, and redistribute that control back to the state’s governing bodies.
Representative Bob Morgan is heading up a piece of legislation that he hopes will go into effect in the spring. This legislation, effectively, would remove that employer’s power to fire anyone who’s been cleared to partake in medical marijuana. But, seeing as how that’s still yet to go into action, it’s caused many people to fear for their jobs. Just like this unfortunate Romeoville teacher.
Speaking of, in her lengthy charge, she wrote about how things have worsened for her since word got out about her cannabis use. Specifically, she said, “I feel that I am being judged. I feel embarrassed, violated, confused, and heartbroken, and betrayed by my own colleagues. I have seen my therapist more than I ever have. My panic attacks have increased.”
One can’t help but feel horrible for this poor woman. She took the social risk of getting cleared to improve her life through the polarizing use of cannabis, only to be dragged through the mud for her courage.
The use of medical marijuana in Illinois has been legal for some time now, and when people (such as this teacher) go about getting their recommendation the legal way, they shouldn’t be punished by losing their jobs. She needed cannabis to help with her arthritis, but now she may need it to deal with the increasing stress that her coworkers and employers have put her through.
This level of abuse of unacceptable, but sadly, all too-common.
Teachers, and other medical marijuana users in similar realms of employment, have grown more and more nervous that their bosses will make them take a drug test, solely to have a reason to fire them before that inevitable changing of the law is put into place. That sort of unspoken threat on the part of these despicable employers should be penalized.
While it’s easy to suggest someone leave an environment like that, the job market isn’t always the easiest to rebound in. And when one has earned a position, they’d like to maintain that position, especially if they haven’t done anything but use medically approved cannabis in the privacy of their own home.
It really turns my stomach that occurrences like this are happening more and more in places that have yet to legalize recreational marijuana, and/or turn over drug test legislation like this. Hopefully, if more people in Congress can join Rep. Morgan in the fight to bring job security to the millions of medical marijuana users out there, maybe these days can become a thing of the past.
Until some serious change is made, I’m sure we’ll continue to hear about judgemental bosses making their innocent employees feel lesser than, solely because they enjoy the benefits of cannabis. It all seems so backward to me. But, as I said, if there can be a grassroots movement to ensure that things like this don’t become the norm, everyone will be a lot better off – and calmer.
I suppose only time will tell.
