After graduating from the University of Oregon, Cyd Maurer became a well known news anchor for KEZI-TV, a TV station based in Eugene, Oregon.

In May of this year—just a couple months before recreational pot became legal in Oregon—she was fired after a drug test required by her employer came back positive for marijuana.

“Maurer, who has been working in television for the past three years . . . said she didn’t do anything wrong and felt the firing was discriminatory,” The Daily Mail reported.

In a YouTube video released by Maurer immediately after being fired, she discussed her negative experience with marijuana prohibition.

In it, she said that she’s a responsible user and never came to work impaired. She explained that the drug test came back positive because she had gotten high a few days before the test, on her own personal time.

Here’s the video:

Her experience—and especially her willingness to speak out against what she saw as a wrongful termination—raised some important questions about whether or not employers should be allowed to fire employees for using marijuana in places where recreational pot is legal.

All of this ultimately propelled her into the limelight as an outspoken cannabis activist.

As a result of her work, she’s now a nominee for 2015 Oregon Person of the Year.

The Oregonian said that the 25 nominees for the award were all chosen because they “captivated readers or encapsulated issues that proved to be defining moments for Oregon in 2015.”

Maurer is up against a number of other well-known Oregonians including musician, actress, and writer Carrie Brownstein, governor Kate Brown, a group of protestors who worked to block the efforts of Shell Oil, Portland Trail Blazers all-star point guard Damian Lillard, women’s rights activist Mary Numair, and several others.

Readers of The Oregonian have until December 20 to vote for their top 10 picks. After the field has been narrowed down to the top 10 nominees, the state will vote for its 2015 Person of the Year.

(Photo Credit: marijuanapolitics.com)