Experiences of Medical Cannabis Patient Workers in Puerto Rico
Keywords:
Medical cannabis, patient-employee, labor discriminationAbstract
The purpose of this exploratory study was to learn about the work experience of employees who are medical cannabis patients and whether or not they perceive that there is discrimination against them at work and how it is manifested. This is because it is a topic that lacks information and research in Puerto Rico. The methodology used in the study was qualitative of constant comparison with a phenomenological approach, six interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the categories created after the transcriptions were validated through a reliability process among three expert judges on the subject. The results from the data indicate that most participants expressed that they did not feel safe telling their employer that they are medical cannabis patients for fear of losing their job or being discriminated against at work. However, there is a perception among the participants that there is job discrimination toward patient employees in organizations in Puerto Rico. It is concluded that there is a need to educate about the existing rights and responsibilities regarding medical cannabis in the workplace in Puerto Rico.
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