Former MI WalMart employee fired for legal use of medical marijuana

2010-03-16 14:36:39 (GMT) (JusticeNewsFlash.com - Employment Law, Featured, Justice News Flash)

WalMart fired a former employee for his legal use of medical marijuana.

Legal News for Michigan Employment Attorneys. A Michigan man with sinus cancer and a brain tumor was fired from WalMart for using medical marijuana to ease his pain.

Michigan employment lawyer alerts- WalMart fired one of it’s workers for failing a drug test, even though he had a state medical marijuana card.

Battle Creek, MI—Nearly 100 people came together on Sunday, March 14, 2010, to rally for a former WalMart employee who lost his job after failing a drug screening. The man, who suffers from sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor, has a state medical marijuana card, which allows him to use the cannabis as a means of pain management. Nonetheless, WalMart would not accept his use of marijuana, whether it was legal or not, reports WWMT.com and WZZM13.com.

Joseph Casias, an ex-WalMart worker of five years, began using medical marijuana at his doctor’s recommendation to alleviate the pain associated with his ailments. Casias maintains he never used marijuana before any of his shifts, subsequently stating, “I gave them everything, 110 percent every day. Anything they asked me to do I do. More than they asked me to do. 12 to 14 hours a day.” However, all his hard work seemed to prove useless when he suffered a knee injury while on the job, prompting a customary drug test.

Upon showing his WalMart managers his medical marijuana card to explain the results of the screening, they seemingly refused to accept it as justification for his use of the drug. With regards to Casias’ job termination, a WalMart spokesperson reportedly stated, “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.”

Greg Francisco of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association joined almost 100 of Casias’ supporters, reportedly stating “We want people to know all over the state of Michigan that if employers are going to discriminate simply because they are medical marijuana patients they can expect some push back.”

Legal News Reporter: Sandra Quinlan- Legal News for Michigan Employment Lawyers.