Life is crashing down on me

I've worked so hard to keep myself up.

I started this job at a movie theater after having a hard time getting steady employment. As a filmmaker this was the perfect survival job that I could get.

I was good at it, I got raise less than two weeks in during training. All was looking good.

Then I get called in to a room with the GM and get questioned. I was wondering where this was leading to, then I realized what was going on.

The day before I was talking to a co worker about weed. I had spoken to him several days ago about him hooking me up with weed sometime in the future. But I never followed up on it and never asked him to bring it with him. He had some weed on him. After we clocked out and left he sold me some weed. End of story.

But the guy who was giving me a ride decided to snitch on us. Now I am suspended. I have no idea if I will be fired or not. I've been looking for a job though in the meantime. But it's tough out here.

This job is pretty much all that I've had. I'm pretty lonely, I am pretty broke, no one cares about me, I haven't been touch by a woman in months, I am at the end of my rope.

I try to stay positive, I say my affirmations, I mediate, I do many different things. But I am hating life right now.

Can you make an appeal to the GM? Maybe tell him that you're going through a hard time right and the weed was for stress relief?

That was a really bad idea. And you would be wise to keep your private life private and not bring it to work. Learn the lesson here.

Well you can't get in trouble for doing something off the clock and off the premise. They acknowledged that.

They just think that I asked him to bring the weed (which I did not). And if I didn't that I should have snitched on him for being a threat to the company and that buying weed from him would encourage him to sell weed. I didn't even know for sure that he had weed on him until I saw it with my own two eyes off the clock and off the premise. And I didn't see the guy as a threat or someone who is a real drug dealer.

I asked if I could appeal and was told no. Sucks.

Hauntyoueveryday said:

I didn't even know for sure that he had weed on him until I saw it with my own two eyes off the clock and off the premise. And I didn't see the guy as a threat or someone who is a real drug dealer.

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Why don't you tell them this? None of this business even happened on the clock or at your work. Maybe he never even had the weed in the building.

Ugh, I feel for you. I was never caught in my stoner days, but still, this is 2015. I don't smoke anymore, but I don't mind the people that do, and it's not like it is some crazy drug - I've always found it similar to alcohol. It's stupid that this is still an issue. And the person snitching on you, man, have they nothing else to do?

Never bring up that kind of stuff in a professional setting. Doesn't matter how many states legalize it, it still has - and probably will have for a very long time - a stigma surrounding it. If you're going to set up a meeting for that, do it off work hours. No matter how chill and how cool someone seems, if you don't know them well enough, don't even bring it up. Even if you think they wouldn't say anything, don't trust everyone with that type of thing.

I agree with VC. Never mention this sort of issue in a work setting. I hope that you find a new job soon if you lose this one.

Most employment is "At Will". So, the reality is that employers have a broad licence to hire and fire whomever they may please. You really need to learn that Coworkers are simply coworkers and you would be wise to learn a lesson and be very careful about whom you trust. And, yes if an employer thinks an employee is using drugs, they will most often fire them because that is a potential liability for them. If you wish to be gainfully employed then maybe you need to stop smoking marijuana. Most companies drug test for employment and marijuana stays in your system for a long time. Do you really want to get up on your feet and move forward? If you do, then make the positive life changes that will get you where you want to go. Even it if is legal where you are, employers are still choosing to not hire those who test positive or use it and so far, that is their right to do so.

VanillaCreme said:

Never bring up that kind of stuff in a professional setting. Doesn't matter how many states legalize it, it still has - and probably will have for a very long time - a stigma surrounding it. If you're going to set up a meeting for that, do it off work hours. No matter how chill and how cool someone seems, if you don't know them well enough, don't even bring it up. Even if you think they wouldn't say anything, don't trust everyone with that type of thing.

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delledonne11 said:

Most employment is "At Will". So, the reality is that employers have a broad licence to hire and fire whomever they may please. You really need to learn that Coworkers are simply coworkers and you would be wise to learn a lesson and be very careful about whom you trust. And, yes if an employer thinks an employee is using drugs, they will most often fire them because that is a potential liability for them. If you wish to be gainfully employed then maybe you need to stop smoking marijuana. Most companies drug test for employment and marijuana stays in your system for a long time. Do you really want to get up on your feet and move forward? If you do, then make the positive life changes that will get you where you want to go. Even it if is legal where you are, employers are still choosing to not hire those who test positive or use it and so far, that is their right to do so.

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I agree with these statements.

Honestly, it's entirely on you in this situation. You went up to a guy you work with and asked for drugs. Unless you work in a drug ring of some sort, you should never do that.
Maybe it's legal in your state, which I doubt, since you could have just went to a dispensary and got it. Maybe it's decriminalized in your state, but it's still on the employer to drug test and hire/fire people who use.

Learn your lesson and perhaps lay off the drugs if you are worried about keeping/getting a job.

This is what I hate about working for other people. I don't even smoke anything anymore and I don't need a 3-foot-tall blue mohawk. I know image doesn't make the person, it's how you are inside that counts - in fact, it's something I strongly believe. But I can't stand the way employers can tell you how you can and can't be, even if I don't really want to do the things they forbid anyway. The fact that they have such a level of control over your life like that, the fact that they can dominate you so much, I hate it. I hate being dictated to like that, as a grown person - and yes I guess I could choose to work somewhere else but almost every place is like this, and every place knows you need money to exist. I hate being had like this though, being made to feel subservient and slavish. It really bothers me.

TheSkaFish said:

This is what I hate about working for other people. I don't even smoke anything anymore and I don't need a 3-foot-tall blue mohawk. I know image doesn't make the person, it's how you are inside that counts - in fact, it's something I strongly believe. But I can't stand the way employers can tell you how you can and can't be, even if I don't really want to do the things they forbid anyway. The fact that they have such a level of control over your life like that, the fact that they can dominate you so much, I hate it. I hate being dictated to like that, as a grown person - and yes I guess I could choose to work somewhere else but almost every place is like this, and every place knows you need money to exist. I hate being had like this though, being made to feel subservient and slavish. It really bothers me.

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I might be misunderstanding you here, perhaps you are speaking in general and now what the OP is talking about. Are you saying it's not right that companies can fire you for doing illegal drugs or setting up drug deals on company time?

TheRealCallie said:

I might be misunderstanding you here, perhaps you are speaking in general and now what the OP is talking about. Are you saying it's not right that companies can fire you for doing illegal drugs or setting up drug deals on company time?

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I'm mostly speaking in general because the situation reminds me of how I feel about working for others overall, it's like a case in point. I spoke earlier to the OP about the specific situation.

Technically, it is right by letter of the law for companies to fire you for doing illegal drugs or setting up drug deals on company time, and it is wise not to bring drugs or talk of drugs on company property. If it's at-will employment they can basically do whatever they want, right or wrong. That's just the nature of it.

But in the overall scheme of things, it just sucks. I would be more understanding if he was trying to buy crack (a substance more closely related to violent crime and gangs) from someone at work and on company time, but weed? Everyone knows or should know by now that it is far from some crazy substance that always turns people into raving, dangerous maniacs.

I also think the person who ratted him out for weed needs to get a life. Yes there are some things which should be reported but come on. It's a movie theater job, some of the people there are probably high at work anyway. Not like they were in the military smoking weed before handling explosives, or something. It's a crappy survival job. You almost NEED to be drunk or high to stand it without losing your hope or your mind.

This is weird....I am actually speaking up FOR a rebellious act. I guess it's because I don't consider it rebellious, I think people should have weed if they want it even though I personally don't use it, and I feel like the rules of the company go against reason, common sense. Making something out of nothing.

I feel like this is really about companies asserting dominance over you. That's what rubs me the wrong way. Again, technically you could always seek out a more lenient company or be an entrepreneur, but one doesn't simply just be an entrepreneur and most companies are similar to this in terms of policy. It's a crappy situation. I don't think there is anything in reality to discipline anyone for here. It's 2015, people smoke weed, they've been smoking it for a long time. It's still an issue but it shouldn't be.

Well I got fired.

It's so ridiculous. I am pretty sure that the dude that snitched on me did it as a power play. I had already gotten a raise and was better at the job than he was. Such a stupid reason to get fired. Didn't even see the weed until we were off the clock and away from the building. But I am pretty sure it's at will employment

I agree with thesakfish, it's just weed. And it's a crappy survival job. Most people there probably get high.

It makes sense that the company is actually losing money (the gm told me this). They fire good employees for stupid reasons.

Hauntyoueveryday said:

Well I got fired.

It's so ridiculous. I am pretty sure that the dude that snitched on me did it as a power play. I had already gotten a raise and was better at the job than he was. Such a stupid reason to get fired. Didn't even see the weed until we were off the clock and away from the building. But I am pretty sure it's at will employment

I agree with thesakfish, it's just weed. And it's a crappy survival job. Most people there probably get high.

It makes sense that the company is actually losing money (the gm told me this). They fire good employees for stupid reasons.

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It doesn't matter what it is...it's still illegal. If you're going to do drugs, I would recommend being a little smarter about it when dealing with your job.

Yeah, it doesn't matter if it's stupid or not. You shouldn't have brought it up.

You made a mistake. Learn. Move on. Life won't crash as long as you keep it going forward. And avoid walls. Very important.

I live in California, it is not illegal here.

Hauntyoueveryday said:

I live in California, it is not illegal here.

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Um, sorry, but yes it is.

You brought it up in a workplace. Inappropriate.

Hauntyoueveryday said:

I live in California, it is not illegal here.

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It's not illegal on a state level, but it's illegal on the federal level. Plus, I don't know if the law has any effect on a company's ability to fire you for weed-related incidents. I mean, alcohol is legal, but you can still be fired for drinking at work.

Anyway I feel your frustration. It's like I used to think, America is a free country. But in this supposedly free country, the workplace is a dictatorship. It's always rubbed me the wrong way.

Hauntyoueveryday said:

Well I got fired.

It's so ridiculous. I am pretty sure that the dude that snitched on me did it as a power play. I had already gotten a raise and was better at the job than he was. Such a stupid reason to get fired. Didn't even see the weed until we were off the clock and away from the building. But I am pretty sure it's at will employment

I agree with thesakfish, it's just weed. And it's a crappy survival job. Most people there probably get high.

It makes sense that the company is actually losing money (the gm told me this). They fire good employees for stupid reasons.

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Well, there you have it. By their own admittance, it's a stupid company. I remember other people in jobs like that were frequently high, or at least admitted to toking regularly.

I'm not going to tell you you were wrong, and I agree that it's stupid. I recommend going back to school or getting some other kind of skill which will get you a higher-paid job at least. They may also be strict about things like weed but at least you'll have more money and feel like you are more in control of your life. Try to just leave these stupid jobs behind for good, as fast as you can.