Walmart employee fired for using medical marijuana. Joseph Casias, a Walmart employee was fired for testing positive during a random drug test; Casias, 29, was using medical marijuana because of sinus cancer and a brain tumor. Casias was the store associate of the year in 2008 at the Walmart in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Walmart said that they were "sympathetic" about his condition, but that they would not re-hire him based on the fact that he was using medical marijuana.
Casias sprained his knee at work and was asked to take a drug test after the incident. Casias said he was legally using marijuana to control pain related to his condition. He said he never worked when he was under the influence.
"I gave them everything," Casias told Fox News about Walmart. "110% every day. Anything they asked me to do, I did. More than they asked me to do. Twelve to 14 hours a day."
Casias has been collecting unemployment since the November termination, but received Walmart sent him a letter that they were challenging his unemployment benefits.
Fox News contacted Walmart officials about the Casias claims and Walmart stated that they will “will no longer object to Casias receiving those benefits,” according to Walmart company spokesman Greg Rossiter.
"This is just an unfortunate situation all around," Rossiter said. "We're sympathetic to Mr. Casias' condition, but like other companies, we have to consider the overall safety of our customers and associates, including Mr. Casias, when making a difficult decision like this."
Rossiter also told Fox News that they will not offer Casias his job back.
Utah has 34 Walmart Super Centers, 2 discount stores, 5 neighborhood markets, 8 Sam's Clubs and 3 distribution centers, and as of September 2009 Walmart employed over 17,000 people in Utah.
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Source: Fox News
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Comments
Oh...my...GOD. Is Wal-Mart out of their FRIGGIN minds?? I feel SO BAD for this guy! What, so he should LIVE WITH HIS PAIN?? WAL-MART, YOU MAKE ME SICK to my stomach! >=0 When will you freaking learn to respect the LAW (at least STATE law in this case)??? LMAO, you think a drug-test PROVES that he has been high (OFF OF HIS ***LEGAL*** MEDICINE) AT WORK? So stupid. This country's corporations are finally trying to "kill their workers"...LITERALLY! (Or at least FAIL-MART is)
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