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Fired for Using Legal Medical Cannabis? Dr. Neil Manimala Discusses Workplace Rights on The Rotation
Can a Hillsborough County employee lose their career for legally using physician-recommended medical cannabis while off duty—even when there is no evidence that they were impaired at work?
That question drove the latest episode of The Rotation by Suncoast NORML, featuring physician, surgeon and Hillsborough County Commission candidate Dr. Neil Manimala.
Manimala joined Suncoast NORML Executive Director Christopher Cano, Deputy Director Carlos Jose Angel Hermida and Director of Public Policy Gary Stein for a wide-ranging conversation about workplace drug testing, medical cannabis patients’ rights, healthcare, transportation, affordability and the power of local government.
The central message of the episode was simple: cannabis policy is not decided only in Washington or Tallahassee. Local elections can directly affect people’s jobs, healthcare options and civil rights.
The Hillsborough County case at the center of the conversation
The episode examined the case of Angelo Giambrone, a Hillsborough County firefighter-paramedic who faced employment discipline after a random drug test detected THC.
Giambrone was registered with Florida’s medical marijuana program and maintained that his cannabis use occurred away from work. The dispute was not based on an allegation that he had been impaired while treating a patient, operating emergency equipment or performing his duties.
A Hillsborough County judge initially ruled in Giambrone’s favor in 2024. However, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal later reversed that decision, concluding that Florida’s medical marijuana law did not require the county to accommodate his off-duty use. Giambrone subsequently indicated that he intended to seek review by the Florida Supreme Court. (Florida Phoenix, Tampa Bay Times)
For Suncoast NORML, the case illustrates a major weakness in Florida’s medical cannabis system: being a registered patient does not automatically protect someone from adverse employment action.
Presence is not the same as impairment
Throughout the episode, the hosts emphasized the difference between detecting past cannabis use and establishing present impairment.
THC metabolites can remain detectable after the effects have worn off. A positive urine test may therefore indicate previous exposure without proving that an employee was impaired during working hours.
That distinction is especially important for firefighters, paramedics and other safety-sensitive employees. Nobody on the program argued that employees should be allowed to work while impaired. Instead, the conversation focused on whether employment policies should distinguish responsible, off-duty medical use from on-the-job impairment.
When asked how he would approach the issue as a county commissioner, Manimala said Hillsborough County should modernize its employee drug policies.
“We need to mature our drug policy to allow a level of flexibility for somebody who quite literally had a physician write him a medical marijuana card,” Manimala said during the episode.
He argued that the county should protect workplace safety while avoiding policies that automatically punish registered patients when there is no evidence of impairment at work.
Supporting first responders without ignoring workplace safety
Manimala approached the controversy from his experience as a physician. He noted that firefighters and paramedics regularly witness traumatic situations and may experience chronic pain, post-traumatic stress and other health conditions.
In his view, supporting those workers requires both firm safety standards and a broader range of legitimate treatment options.
“There is nobody reasonable in this space who is trying to claim that he should be allowed to be impaired in the workplace,” Manimala explained. “We’ve got to do better.”
He described cannabis as one possible component of a larger medical “toolbox,” particularly when doctors and patients are addressing chronic pain or attempting to reduce reliance on more dangerous medications. He also stressed that treatment decisions should be guided by medical evidence and individual circumstances.
Manimala does not issue medical marijuana certifications as part of his urology practice, but he told the hosts that he completed relevant training to understand cannabis more fully as a potential therapeutic option.
The discussion also addressed an ongoing shortcoming in healthcare education. Although cannabis laws and research have changed substantially, many physicians historically received little formal instruction about the endocannabinoid system or the medical uses and risks of cannabis.
What Dr. Neil Manimala said about cannabis reform
During the program’s rapid-fire “hot seat” segment, Manimala answered several questions about cannabis policy.
Asked whether Florida medical cannabis patients should be permitted to cultivate cannabis at home, he said he saw “a path to yes” with appropriate regulations and oversight.
Asked which local cannabis policy he would change first, he returned to employment protections. He supported greater flexibility for registered medical cannabis patients and opposed random testing policies that can cost employees their careers without establishing workplace impairment.
Manimala also challenged stereotypes about cannabis consumers.
“There is a stereotype that cannabis consumers are lazy,” he said, adding that policymakers frequently exaggerate the relative risks of cannabis by treating it as equivalent to substances such as cocaine, heroin or fentanyl.
For Manimala, reducing that stigma is part of creating policies based on evidence instead of what generations of Americans were taught during the era of “reefer madness.”
From medicine to local government
Dr. Neil Manimala is the Democratic nominee for the Hillsborough County Commission’s At-Large District 5 seat. Because it is a countywide position, voters throughout Hillsborough County—including residents of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City—may vote in the race during the November 3, 2026, general election. (Neil Manimala campaign, Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections)
A lifelong Hillsborough County resident and graduate of the University of South Florida and USF’s medical school, Manimala practices as a urologist in communities including Brandon, Plant City and southern Hillsborough County. He is also the 123rd president of the Hillsborough County Medical Association, a position confirmed by the association. (Hillsborough County Medical Association)
During the interview, Manimala said his experiences with patients helped persuade him to run for office. He regularly sees people struggling to balance housing costs, medical expenses and transportation problems.
Some patients, he explained, have difficulty reaching appointments because of limited transit options or worsening traffic. He sees matters such as transportation, clean water, housing affordability and healthcare access as public-health issues—not merely infrastructure or budget questions.
“I didn’t go to medical school thinking I was going to run for office,” he told the hosts. “But for so many of my patients, you’re having to make the impossible choice between paying for their mortgage versus paying for their medication.”
Affordability, transportation and small businesses
The conversation expanded beyond cannabis when Hermida described the pressure facing independent businesses in Ybor City. He noted that customers have less disposable income and that small retailers are attempting to adapt to slower sales and changing consumer habits.
Manimala discussed reducing unnecessary permitting barriers, improving support for small businesses and investing in transportation that could produce more pedestrian activity throughout the county.
He also addressed flooding, stormwater resilience, housing affordability and the possibility of better regional transit. In each case, he returned to the idea that local officials should concentrate on measurable results and the everyday needs shared by residents across political affiliations.
“We’re all driving the same roads here in Hillsborough County,” he said. “We’re hitting the same potholes, dealing with the same issues of flooding.”
Why local elections matter to cannabis patients
County commissions may not rewrite federal cannabis law or control Florida’s medical marijuana statute, but they can influence employment rules, collective bargaining, public-safety policies, county healthcare programs and the treatment of county workers.
The Giambrone case demonstrates how those local decisions can affect a person’s livelihood.
It also exposes a broader conflict within Florida law. The state authorizes qualified patients to obtain and use medical cannabis, yet those patients can still face serious consequences in employment and other areas of life. Until lawmakers establish clearer protections, disputes will continue to be decided through employer policies and litigation.
During his final remarks, Manimala encouraged cannabis consumers to remain engaged in local government and the electoral process.
“I want the cannabis community to restore faith that change is possible,” he said. “And change, I believe, has to start at a local level.”
Suncoast NORML invites voters to review the full interview, research every candidate appearing on their ballot and confirm their voting information through the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
The opinions expressed by guests on The Rotation are their own. Candidate appearances are intended to inform the public about policies affecting cannabis consumers and should not be interpreted as an endorsement unless one is separately and explicitly announced.
About The Rotation by Suncoast NORML
The Rotation brings together patients, advocates, policymakers, scientists, business owners and community leaders for honest conversations about cannabis laws and civil rights.
Follow Suncoast NORML and subscribe to The Rotation for future discussions about workplace protections, patient access, criminal justice reform and the policies affecting Florida’s cannabis community.
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