Walmart Fires Cancer Patient for Legally Using Medical Marijuana

[dreamdancer 0]

does walmart have a heart...

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Joseph Casias, 29, has sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. Despite his condition, he has dutifully gone to work every day for the last five years at a Walmart in Battle Creek, Michigan, where in 2008 he was named Associate of the Year.

Casias is also a legal medical marijuana patient under Michigan state law. He uses marijuana with the recommendation of his doctor to relieve the effects of cancer.

But Walmart, the world’s largest public corporation, has no sympathy for his condition or regard for Michigan’s state law. Last November,Walmart fired Casias because he tested positive for marijuana during a routine drug screening.

Here’s what a Walmart spokesman had to say:

“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.”

To add insult to injury, Walmart is now challenging Casias’ eligibility for unemployment. Simply outrageous. This is the thanks he gets for showing up to work and doing his job for the last five years, despite being stricken with a life-threatening illness.

http://www.alternet.org/health/146031/walmart_fires_cancer_patient_for_legally_using_medical_marijuana

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[kelpdiver 2]

This is the problem with the status quo. Even in states where medical use is liberally granted, you still are in violation of federal law and subject to arrest, or merely losing your job.

[Nightingale 0]

Last I checked, marijuana use was still illegal under federal law.

[Rick 67]

I don't know about Mich. unemployment rules but my friend here in Orlando is the manager of a restaurant. He caught an employee smoking pot in the walk in. He fired the guy and fought the ensuing unemployment compensation claim. The fired employee was found eligible for unemployment benefits.

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[DJL 235]

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Last I checked, marijuana use was still illegal under federal law.

They're quoting a company policy, not a federal law. However, if he sues them then Walmart can just appeal to the federal court system (do I have that right?) and win. Walmart won't change anything unless they have to. This guy just should have refuses the test and told his employers what the situation was off the record. They probably would've just let it go if not reviewed and changed this company policy.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[futuredivot 0]

I avoid Wally World for a variety of reasons and I'm not against grass. But, in this case, policy is what policy is and if he had an issue he should have addressed it before it became an issue.
Having managed people before I know that things are much better handled quietly on a local level because when you bump up against corporate, even if you win, you lose.

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[billvon 3,086]

Wal-Mart is a pretty scummy company overall. Best solution - don't work for them and don't buy stuff there. Once everyone follows your lead they go out of business and the problem is solved.

[airdvr 210]

Agreed...but that's not gonna happen anytime soon

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[rehmwa 2]

meh - the whole story isn't really there

one scenario - employee is stoned at work. As a result, he is subjected to testing to confirm and then he's fired

would that be a satisfactory scenario?

I can come up with a dozen that goes either way...

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[yourmomma 0]

You are exactly right. The fix: you may smoke pot out of work; however you check a box for disalowing a piss test and going right to a blood test with the added cost paid by the testee. That way intoxication at time of test accuracy is kept while passing the buck to the one who demands it,the testee.

[rehmwa 2]

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You are exactly right. The fix: you may smoke pot out of work; however you check a box for disalowing a piss test and going right to a blood test with the added cost paid by the testee. That way intoxication at time of test accuracy is kept while passing the buck to the one who demands it,the testee.

you wrote "testee" hee hee

actually, you mean the testerrrrr

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[hwt 0]

Sounds like Wally World will save insurance money on this too .

[pontiacgtp00 0]

Fuck wal-mart, worst job I ever had. I don't even shop there anymore. I almost had to go back to work there they hired me on and everything last week. Then right at the last second I got a job at autozone and told wal-mart to get fucked. The store manager was pissed to say the least.

[loumeinhart 0]

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Wal-Mart is a pretty scummy company overall.

Yep.

Oh wait, except for their extremely competitive prices on name-brand eyeware/contacts, convenient hours, friendly service, self-checkout lanes, a return police that rocks, and clean batrhrooms. Sometimes I get a laugh at the staff but some of these folks would be stuck at McDonalds or worse if it weren't for walmart.

I'm a busy guy and I've been to every walmart in NE ohio multiple times.

Maybe all companies should be "scummy"

[billvon 3,086]

>Oh wait, except for their extremely competitive prices . . .

Yep. But heck, the local thief probably has even better prices on "recently liberated" eyewear. Doesn't mean he's not sorta scummy.

[loumeinhart 0]

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local thief

I wouldn't buy stolen eyeware because someone else already paid for it. Maybe a stolen stereo..

this was the 490,000th post in SC !

[Remster 30]

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>Oh wait, except for their extremely competitive prices . . .

Yep. But heck, the local thief probably has even better prices on "recently liberated" eyewear. Doesn't mean he's not sorta scummy.

STFU Bill! I need my $1.99 pack on 10 tube socks!

Remster

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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STFU Bill! I need my $1.99 pack on 10 tube socks!

I usually avoid Walmart. But I will fess up and admit that I was there the other day (after this thread was started ... LOL) to pick up a pair of cheap $10 Chinese made blue-jeans. The last pair of Walmart Chinese made blue-jeans I had fell apart on me much sooner than one would expect your clothes to do. So I debated ... do I go the local store and buy a better quality pair of blue-jeans at $70 each, or do I buy 7 pairs of cheap Chinese made crappy blue-jeans at Walmart. Haha ... I chose the cheap Walmart solution. So naturally I am evil.

Then again, according to Glen Beck, I (or who ever else clicks on this) am the root to all evil in the world.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[DJL 235]

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Quote

Wal-Mart is a pretty scummy company overall.

Yep.

Oh wait, except for their extremely competitive prices on name-brand eyeware/contacts, convenient hours, friendly service, self-checkout lanes, a return police that rocks, and clean batrhrooms. Sometimes I get a laugh at the staff but some of these folks would be stuck at McDonalds or worse if it weren't for walmart.

I'm a busy guy and I've been to every walmart in NE ohio multiple times.

Maybe all companies should be "scummy"

In fear of this breaking down into a pro/anti box store conversation I won't go into to too much depth. There are places where it can work but you have to think about each location on an individual basis. Yes, Walmart is good for low-income families and if it's located in the middle of a purely low income area then it will probably mean than some of the vacant structures are being removed. However, you also have to know what it does to a thriving area. In that case the effect is much different.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[Andy9o8 2]

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I usually avoid Walmart. But I will fess up and admit that I was there the other day (after this thread was started ... LOL) to pick up a pair of cheap $10 Chinese made blue-jeans.

So not only do you enable the abuse of workers, you enable the murderers of Tienamen Square. And of course we all know that Canucks support the bashing in of baby seal heads. How about eating kittens? Kicking grandmas? Oh, what will Canadians not stoop to?

And they call the US the evil empire.

[chutem 0]

Last I heard the movement against clubbing seals with baby kittens while kicking grandmas has really caught on in the Great White North.

James

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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How about eating kittens?

I have been known to be indirectly responsible for the death of some innocent kittens.
Of course it wasn't me doing the actual killing. God did the killing.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[loumeinhart 0]

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Walmart is good for low-income families and if it's located in the middle of a purely low income area then it will probably mean than some of the vacant structures are being removed

Probably. I've seen the opposite in Canton Oh. Mellet was the big mall back in the day. The slow death started in the 90's when the theatre marquee began displaying chinese food specials in place of movies. Add a few shootings at the theatrer, theft, vacancy and the area started going bad. Then came walmart and with it many new stores. In a nutshell, that medum-size strip in canton has been revitalized, cleaned up, and made safer. There is a reason that every Applebee's restaurant purposely builds right in front of a Walmart..

I disagree with your point about "low-income." There are plennnty of higher income people who shop at walmart. I would guess that's partly because walmart carries name-brand merchandise at competetive prices.

I've definately been in some piece of shit walmarts and there are things I don't buy there. Sometimes their prices are not so competitive either.

edit: after actually reading your post I see that you said the exact same thing.

[Andy9o8 2]

I think that just as WalMart did K-mart's business model better than K-Mart, Target is doing the same model better than WalMart: similar merchandise (slightly higher quality), prices as low or almost as low, better selection, nicer interior & feel, as compared with WalMart, which always seems a bit seedy.

Market anecdote: As for appealing to the middle classes (i.e, not just the lower classes), my wife, who's an educated professional now, but came from modest beginnings (as I did), likes to shop at Target, but says WalMarts give her the creeps.

Oh - and she's just as "forward-thinking" as I am , and she tries to avoid WalMart when possible on principle, too (not just because it has a slightly seedy feel), because of their reputation for treating their employees shitty. (shittily?)

[pontiacgtp00 0]

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There is a reason that every Applebee's restaurant purposely builds right in front of a Walmart.

Very interesting observation. The local Applebee's is indeed right across the road from Wal-Mart.