And the Beat Goes On…
Well, as we all know, it’s legal in Michigan to inhale the marijuana weed smoke for medical purposes. Even with it’s legislation legalizing medical marijuana, Michigan isn’t exactly a hot-bed of liberal thought. So the story you’re about to read after the jump shouldn’t be surprising. Basically, a Wal Mart in Michigan is screwing some poor soul out of a paycheck because they like to get high.
Marijuana is legal in Michigan, but a lot of companies still do mandatory drug testing for their employees, which they have every right to do. So where does that leave the patients who are legally using marijuana and are also getting drug tested? One company has already solved the riddle. Via
Now that medical marijuana is legal in Michigan, can an employer fire a worker who tests positive for the drug? WalMart says it can, so it did. ‘I was terminated because I failed a drug screening,’ says former WalMart employee Joseph Casias.
Well, maybe Joseph Casias was a terrible employee? “In 2008, Casias was the Associate Of The Year at the WalMart store in Battle Creek, despite suffering from sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor.” Whoops! Guess not.
Casias, never used pot before work, “‘No, I never came to work under the influence, never,’ he says,” and he never missed a day in 5 years. Here is the statement Walmart issued:
In states, such as Michigan, where prescriptions for marijuana can be obtained, an employer can still enforce a policy that requires termination of employment following a positive drug screen. We believe our policy complies with the law and we support decisions based on the policy.
But the man never missed a day of work, never used before work, even though he had sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. He EVEN WON ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR. If I were Walmart, I would be giving that guy a plaque and more days off. Not firing him. It gets even worse.
Casias had been collecting unemployment since he was terminated in November (something every blogger is familiar with), but that might not last, “WalMart is challenging his eligibility for benefits.”
I would say boycott Walmart, but they’re just too big. If you are an active HMJ reader and toker, just go to Sam’s Club or some other derivative if you need 45 pounds of Mayo.
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8 Comments
jb38666
03.18.2010
damn tthis shit grimey as fuck lmao
houroc
03.18.2010
Mother fuck a Walmart…. STONERS UNITE!!! We can make a difference…. We did with kelloggs, we with starbucks… Lets take these guys down…. Join this facebook group…
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36441579947…
We can make a difference if we unite!
houroc
03.18.2010
Mother fuck a Walmart…. STONERS UNITE!!! We can make a difference…. We did with kelloggs, we with starbucks… Lets take these guys down…. Join this facebook group…
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36441579947…
We can make a difference if we unite!
Paul
03.18.2010
Dude, Sam’s Club belongs to the same company as Wal-Mart, so any boycott would have to include Sam’s Club. Not to worry, it is very easy to avoid shopping at Wal-Mart, just be aware of your alternatives, and be firm when the people around you are going to Wal-Mart.
blanca
03.18.2010
Ah there goes walmart, yet again showing us that they are the leaders in human rights. why is this stupid company still around? When are we finally going to be fed up? I’ve been boycotting walmart and Sams club since high school. I guess I now have one more reason to continue to do so. Shame on them.
drgncabe
03.18.2010
A point that seems to have been missed is what I believe to be the real reason Wal-Mart fired him. They used his medical marijuana use to fire him so their insurance premiums do not go up through his cancer treatments. Wal-Mart corporation has a long history of finding ways to fire chronically ill employees despite the fact that most of these ill employees work harder than the average healthy employee.
Chronic illness can cause insurance premiums to hike significantly, one employee with a chronic illness can easily equal the cost of 200-300 healthy employees. You get enough employees that chronic illnesses, their insurance premiums can sky-rocket quickly. While I have no proof, I personally feel that this was a move by Wal-Mart to save costs.
To me, its sick and despicable. If he sucks at his job, fine. If he tokes up to help with a chronic, debilitating illness when its LEGAL in his state and still comes to work every day and has been awarded multiple times, then it reaks of fraud on Wal-Mart's part.
jdott
03.18.2010
this is redic,if there has neva been a problem wth the employer, why is it such a big deal if this person needs to medicate wht Marijuana when he/she gets home.People take Pills from there Dr tht r alot harder than Cannabis.(TRUTH)As long as it does not come between there duties at work what is tha BIG DEAL PPL?..WTF WALLMART?…
Brian
03.25.2010
This issue isn't new, it has been tried in state supreme courts a few times in the past 5 years, with judicial decision consistently allowing employers to fire patients with a positive drug test. This particular case just reached national news because of the ridiculousness of Casias' firing, a clearly responsible employee with cancer being fired, and the grass roots support from the medical marijuana community for Joseph's case.
I found this presentation helpful for my own legal understanding as it takes a case by case look at judicial decisions on medical marijuana in the workplace and how the law is currently interpreted for employers, managers, and employees that are medical marijuana patients: my.brainshark.com/Waiting-to-Exhale-Managi…
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