The courts have ruled in WA that regardless of your medical condition and status, if you use medical marijuana you can and most likely will be fired from any company who chooses to enforce their drug policies. The private life we once had is no gone, apparently what we do on our own free time can get us fired at the workplace.

The Washington State Supreme Court concluded that an employer’s drug policy trumps the state medical marijuana law. The court ruled that Washington employers can terminate an employee who fails a drug test, even if it’s due to medical marijuana use.

What Happened.“Roe” was offered a position as a customer service representative for TeleTech. Roe was given a copy of the company’s drug policy, which stated that all employees must pass a drug test. Roe informed TeleTech that she used medical marijuana, offered a copy of her doctor’s authorization form—which the company declined—and took the drug test.

Roe began training on October 10, 2006, the same day her drug test came back positive. Her supervisor notified corporate headquarters, who confirmed that there are no exceptions for medical marijuana. On October 18, 2006, Roe was terminated.

Roe took TeleTech to court claiming wrongful termination. Roe argued that her termination was in violation of the state Medical Use of Marijuana Act (MUMA) and was in violation of a clear public policy allowing medical marijuana use in compliance with MUMA. TeleTech argued that MUMA’s purpose is to protect users and physicians from criminal prosecution under state drug laws, not to entitle users to employment protections.