Can My Employer Find Out If I Have A Medical Marijuana Card?

August 26, 2019

The number of people that are using medical marijuana across the world is rapidly increasing, thanks to the many benefits that it comes with. And at the same time, most of these people are registering for medical marijuana cards to facilitate the easy acquisition of marijuana plus the prescription.

But not all the marijuana cardholders are comfortable with it, as some are too worried about the possibility of being discriminated against at work by employers or potential employers. And even though laws are protecting medical marijuana information, the cardholders have good reasons to be worried. The main question they need an answer to is whether or not they will be discriminated against.

State laws regarding medical marijuana

Florida is among the many states that have already legalized the use of medical marijuana. And still, many other states in America are toying around with bills that will legalize medical marijuana if passed. Getting medical marijuana cards in Florida is vital for various reasons; being a legal requirement is just one of them.

Just as it is in many states, the use of medical marijuana cards in Florida is protected by law. And as such, laws and policies have been put into place to ensure that the cardholders are not discriminated at work by employers. But even then, it is important to note that employers in Florida can still fire you for using marijuana, whether for medical purposes or not.

Employers not notified

Usually, employers are not notified when one goes to get the medical marijuana card in Florida or any other state. At the same time, you can be sure that your employer cannot call agencies to check whether you have a medical marijuana card or not as the law bars them.

As an employee who is using medical marijuana, you need to know that employers are lawfully allowed to conduct drug tests and might terminate your employment if you are found to be using marijuana. Also, if you are yet to be employed, you might be subjected to a pre-employment drug test, and you might end up failing to get the job.

Maintain your privacy

The easiest way for your employer to know about your medical marijuana card in Florida is when you choose not to protect your privacy. There is no need to tell your coworkers about your medical marijuana use, or even the possession of the card. If one coworker sees the card, then you can be sure that he/she will tell another. And within no time, your employer will know about it. And this is what you need to avoid at all costs.

Conclusion

Whether your employer comes to know about your medical marijuana card in Florida or not depends on how you handle it. No agency will provide the information to the employer, and the employer is not permitted to call agencies asking about it. So if you want to keep your card a secret, then you have to maintain top-level privacy about it.