Being A Medical Cannabis Patient Means I’m a Federal Criminal

Within a few days of moving to California in 2006, I became a part of the Medical Marijuana Program. Since then, I’ve been an active part of medical cannabis programs at every opportunity. I use cannabis to help with cPTSD, migraine headaches, and pain management. I also use cannabis recreationally.

Now, I’ve worked quite a few jobs since being in the workforce as a cannabis user, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I finally had to pee in a cup. I did so reluctantly, feeling as though I ‘lied’ to my employer by sobering up for six weeks and loading up on water so I could pass the test. Since we were living in a state with prohibition at the time there was very little choice.

Once my husband and I moved back to a state with reasonable laws, I decided I was no longer going to lie about my cannabis use, especially as it is a key part of how I’m able to function. In fact, we selected a state based on its cannabis laws, hopeful to work for an industry we both believed in so deeply.

Believe it or not, being a cannabis writer can be hard to break into, so I tried in a moment of weakness to go back to my ‘day job’ of slinging data for US health care firms. I was hired in a Senior Data Engineering role at United Health Group. I got to the point that I signed the paperwork and was arranging all of the onboarding activities. As I was working through a recruiting firm, they had assured me that everything was going to be fine with my status as a patient. When UHG’s HR disclosed that they would be drug testing me, I informed them of my status as a Medical Marijuana patient, and that I would transfer a copy of my medical card, confident that I’d just drop into Quest Lab and take care of things.

“We don’t hire federal criminals.”

I followed the rules and ‘did everything right’ by identifying myself as a medical marijuana patient, which means I have also identified myself in a way recreational users don’t — I am a documented federal criminal, and they are not.

In 2007, the dispensary in Hollywood I used as a medical cannabis patient was raided. The DEA conducted a series of raids that year in an attempt to keep control over marijuana. One only has to take a glance at the headlines out of countries amid regime changes to acknowledge that without a change on the federal level, medical cannabis users in 37 states have been left in a precarious position. These sorts of raids could resume at any time until legislation is passed that removes cannabis from Schedule I.

It is great to see so many states recognize the science that demonstrates the medical efficacy of cannabis. It’s even better that states legalize cannabis for recreational use as well. Without change at the federal level, these laws transform patients into criminals. It’s frustrating to fear that in today’s political climate, it is doubtful that the CAOA legislation proposed by Senators Schumer, Booker, and Wyden will get the necessary 60 votes to pass.

Please let your legislators know how important cannabis legalization at the federal level is to you. Don’t be fooled because it looks like we’re winning, we still have so much to do!

Originally published at https://oregoncannabisgazette.com.