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Marion County School Board Fires Marine Vet Over Medical Marijuana Use

Photo: Flickr Creative Commons

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Central Florida high school dean has been fired for using medical marijuana that was prescribed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder he incurred in the Marines.

The Marion County School Board voted 5-0 Wednesday to fire Mike Hickman.

The board said that while medical marijuana is legal in Florida, it is illegal under federal law and its use violates district policy. The district had offered to suspend Hickman if he agreed not to use medical marijuana in the future, but he refused.

Hickman fought in Desert Storm in the early 1990s. His attorney called the firing “unfortunate.”

The district learned of Hickman's usage after he was injured breaking up a fight.

After a brief stint as Morning Edition Producer at The Public’s Radio in in Rhode Island, Talia Blake returned to WMFE, the station that grew her love for public radio. She graduated with a double-major in Broadcast Journalism and Psychology from the University of Central Florida (Go Knights!). While at UCF, she was an intern for WMFE’s public affairs show, Intersection. In her spare time, Talia is an avid foodie and enjoys working out.