Medical cannabis in medschool?

[Jose rubio]

Hi med students and beyond.
I am currently an M1 in the state of Illinois. As a former US navy sailor, I deployed overseas and returned with some physical and psychological injuries for which a private doctor certified me to get medical cannabis to help with my symptoms. Years of taking several prescription medication were damaging my kidneys and I was basically a zombie. I do not consume regularly but it does help. I wonder if I could potentially get in legal trouble or otherwise when I get drug tested for clerkships or residency given that my consumption is for medical reasons and it is legally prescribed in my state. I would like to ask someone at my school about this but I am afraid how that can damage my admission or anything. Thanks

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[Noisewater-TDX]

Hi med students and beyond.
I am currently an M1 in the state of Illinois. As a former US navy sailor, I deployed overseas and returned with some physical and psychological injuries for which a private doctor certified me to get medical cannabis to help with my symptoms. Years of taking several prescription medication were damaging my kidneys and I was basically a zombie. I do not consume regularly but it does help. I wonder if I could potentially get in legal trouble or otherwise when I get drug tested for clerkships or residency given that my consumption is for medical reasons and it is legally prescribed in my state. I would like to ask someone at my school about this but I am afraid how that can damage my admission or anything. Thanks

First. You aren't using your real name for your avatar name right? If you are, change it.

Alot of hospitals have to drug test and enforce weed law's becuase they take federal funds. I have NO idea how a med school would handle this. I would think they would already have a policy in your handbook somewhere.

But on rotations you have to follow the rules and regs of the hospital.

I only know This becuase I was a travel nurse and went to a few states with legalised weed. It was still a huge no from hospital admins.

 

[Osteoth]

Yeah talk to your upper years and see if you get piss tested. We didn't.

 

[Toast Chee]

Tough call. My thought is to be up front about it with admissions and just provide documentation if requested. Better that than test positive on a drug test and then try and explain it then IMO.

 

[RM38]

The american with disabilities act which protects people using prescribed medications is a federal law and marijuana is still illegal federally. The med school and hospital would be within their right to enforce what ever policy they have in place in reference to this and you have no protection to fight it. For liability issues, my guess is that you would have to stop using MJ. If there ever was complication or issue with patient care in med school, residency or as an attending, and it was known before or discovered later that you use medical marijuana, they will automatically blame it on marijuana, even if you were not impaired. It will be a very difficult thing to defend for you. Both you and the hospital would be at serious risk of getting sued for a large sum of money and you may be put in a position where you could lose your license. Obviously this is not as big of a deal in the first 2 years of school, but it could become a big issue in your clinical years. Talk to your school about it, but my guess is you may have to choose between your medical career and medical MJ based on the current state of things. Even if the school and hospital is ok with it, it is still a liability issue that you will have to contend with.

 

[WingedOx]

Yeah, MJ testing is going to be entirely rotation and program-dependent. My school's primary children's hospital where ~80% of students rotated required that you get tested (and pay 75 bucks for the test 👎) before rotating there. My residency tested once during orientation then never again, and recreational use may or may not have been popular among residents. My current job could theoretically test me at any time, so it's just not worth it.

So yeah, while this isn't going to be the easiest advice especially considering you're in your M1 year already, your best bet for both personal and mental health reasons is to get off the stuff, and to find a psychiatrist who knows what they're doing with PTSD.

 

[BidingMyTime]

While Colorado, and maybe a few other states have passed state laws requiring medical marijuana use be protected as a disability, Illinois is not one of those states. I would definitely work with your doctor to find a federally legal alternative to your health concerns. Drug testing at hospitals is pretty routine, and unless something changes in the next year or two (unlikely), a hospital will dismiss you if you test positive for marijuana (and then your school may require you to complete a drug addiction program to continue.)

 

[NontradCA]

If you have to ask, don’t.

 

[WingedOx]

While Colorado, and maybe a few other states have passed state laws requiring medical marijuana use be protected as a disability, Illinois is not one of those states. I would definitely work with your doctor to find a federally legal alternative to your health concerns. Drug testing at hospitals is pretty routine, and unless something changes in the next year or two (unlikely), a hospital will dismiss you if you test positive for marijuana (and then your school may require you to complete a drug addiction program to continue.)

Even in CO, I wouldn't risk my career to whatever could happen in the courts.

 

[Mad Jack]

Marijuana is not permitted per most drug testing policies for a great number of reasons. Having a prescription does not exempt you, as it is illegal at the federal level. Workplaces and schools can let you go based on any number of legal activities- there are many hospitals that will not hire you if you are a smoker, for instance.

 

[Atom612]

Since MJ is still illegal federally, and assumedly the majority of your student loans are federal, can't they also pull your aid package if you get caught?

 

[nlax30]

Add my vote to “if you have to ask then don’t” camp. Still illegal on federal level and unless you have deep pockets for potential legal battle should something happen or even to preemptively fight it then it’s not worth potentially ruining your career before it even begins.

Drug testing will depend on your school and rotations. You will most certainly get drug tested prior to starting residency. My single need stick injury came during fellowship and when I went to company care to get it handled I was asked to take a drug right there on spot. I’m not sure how common that is but there are always unexpected things that come up.

 

[CherryRedDracul]

My single need stick injury came during fellowship and when I went to company care to get it handled I was asked to take a drug right there on spot. I’m not sure how common that is but there are always unexpected things that come up.

That's a very odd policy and I'm no fan of it. Taking care of the needle stick injury is the primary concern and all other ancillary bull**** that can prevent that from happening should be cast aside.

 

[WingedOx]

That's a very odd policy and I'm no fan of it. Taking care of the needle stick injury is the primary concern and all other ancillary bull**** that can prevent that from happening should be cast aside.

Better for doctors to have Hep C in their bloodstream than the wacky weed, I guess.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Hi med students and beyond.
I am currently an M1 in the state of Illinois. As a former US navy sailor, I deployed overseas and returned with some physical and psychological injuries for which a private doctor certified me to get medical cannabis to help with my symptoms. Years of taking several prescription medication were damaging my kidneys and I was basically a zombie. I do not consume regularly but it does help. I wonder if I could potentially get in legal trouble or otherwise when I get drug tested for clerkships or residency given that my consumption is for medical reasons and it is legally prescribed in my state. I would like to ask someone at my school about this but I am afraid how that can damage my admission or anything. Thanks

The dollar tree has 1 dollar weed tests. Not going to advocate for this, but my school does the UDS, if you know its coming, get off that wacky tabaccy for a month, make sure you pee clean, and go for it.

Add my vote to “if you have to ask then don’t” camp. Still illegal on federal level and unless you have deep pockets for potential legal battle should something happen or even to preemptively fight it then it’s not worth potentially ruining your career before it even begins.

Drug testing will depend on your school and rotations. You will most certainly get drug tested prior to starting residency. My single need stick injury came during fellowship and when I went to company care to get it handled I was asked to take a drug right there on spot. I’m not sure how common that is but there are always unexpected things that come up.

This is true, I have been blood tested every time I had a needle stick. Anything the hospital can do to try and prove it was really my fault for the Hep C pt deciding to jump when I stick em. So maybe the OP needs to just figure this out a head of time, hard to predict needle sticks, you never see them coming.