A high school teacher in Central Florida could be out of a job after testing positive for medical marijuana prescribed for his PTSD – despite that being legal in the state.
Michael Hickman, who was recently promoted to dean at Belleview High School south of Ocala, takes the drug as a result of injuries suffered while a member of the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Desert Storm.
According to NBC affiliate WESH-TV, Hickman tested positive after he was required to take a drug test following a fight at the school in order to receive worker’s compensation. Hickman’s attorney said he was prescribed the drug by a licensed physician after it became legal following a 2018 ballot initiative in the state.
Officials from the Marion County School District say that while it’s legal in the state, it’s not legal by federal law and the county gets millions of dollars annually in federal funding for students.
Hickman has been suspended without pay pending his next hearing.
