Jail officer fired over medical marijuana
KRQE
By Gabrielle Burkhart
Published: June 13, 2014
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An Albuquerque man said he was fired from his corrections officer job at the Metro Detention Center because of his medical marijuana prescription.
The Iraq war vet said he was given medical marijuana to treat his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In a lawsuit that’s now reached federal court, he said when the jail found out, he was canned, which his lawyer argues is against the law.
The former jail employee’s attorney told KRQE News 13, that even the fact that the jail tested his client for marijuana is a violation of his rights. However, jail officials say using marijuana as an employee, is a violation of policy.
Augustine Stanley was fired from his job as a corrections officer at MDC last year. The Army Lieutenant and war vet tested positive for marijuana. His lawyer, now representing Stanley in a lawsuit against Bernalillo County said Stanley has a legal medical marijuana card to treat PTSD.
“It’s demonstrative of a lot of people’s cases,” said Paul Livingston, Stanley’s attorney. “And a lot of people work for the state or the county or the city and need to have or want to have a medical marijuana card.”
MDC jail officials said if an employee uses marijuana, it’s a violation of their drug policy, adding, Stanley didn’t self report any prescription drug medication before the test.
But, Livingston claims state law protects the privacy of medical marijuana card holders.
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