The post Chronically Ill 24-Year-Old Man Fired For Using Marijuana appeared first on High Times.
A chronically ill 24-year-old man fired for using marijuana serves as a sobering reminder. Despite spreading legalization and acceptance, medical marijuana patients must often face an impossible decision. Do they prioritize their health or their careers? This kind of choice is never cut and dry. And for some, choosing to stay healthy comes with a cost.
Kristian Hidalgo
Green City Force
The chronically ill 24-year-old man fired for using marijuana is Kristian Hidalgo. Born and raised in the South Bronx in New York, Hidalgo has battled depression since his teenage years. And then, in 2015, a host of severe physical ailments added to his struggles. His doctors diagnosed him with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic fatigue syndrome. To treat and manage these conditions, Hidalgo received various prescriptions for medication. Some of which are typically given to senior patients. And may lead to sterility.
In an interview with The New York Times, Hidalgo disclosed that his plans for the future include having children. Therefore, a medication that can cause such a side effect is undesirable. To manage his symptoms, Hidalgo often uses over-the-counter pain remedies. They do very little in terms of relief.
A year after the symptoms of his chronic illness started, Hidalgo gave cannabis a try for the first time. It proved to be much more effective than the drugs sold over-the-counter. And it was especially appealing because it treated all of his conditions.
“Smoking [cannabis] is an alternative that’s way better than taking a medication for pain, [another] for depression, [and one] for anxiety,” he says. “For all that, I can just smoke. A little bit, and I’m good.”