A Windsor man claims he is facing work discrimination after being denied the use of medical marijuana while on the job.
Joshua Jacquot tells CTV News he has no choice but to look into taking legal action.
"I have tried to commit suicide," Jacquot claims.
Jacquot battles depression, anxiety and chronic back pain after a serious car crash in 2012.
"Yesterday I cried for five hours just trying to deal with everything," says Jacquot.
With the Liberals tabling new pot legislation, Jacquot wants approval to use the drug while on the job.
“I'm willing to work,” he says. “I don't want to be on disability, I could be on disability, but I want to live a normal life again."
Jacquot says he turned to his employer, Ventra Assembly Line, for help -- by requesting to use a specific strand of medical marijuana oil while at work to relieve pain.
"The human resources at Ventra straight up said no I wasn't allowed to medicate at work, same with my union at the plant."
While communication between Ventra, the union and Jacquot's doctor have since improved, nothing has changed.
Jacquot argues his doctor prescribed dose of medical marijuana does not impair his judgement.
“I worked under the influence from November 9 to 22 under marijuana,” he says. “There were no health and safety issues, everything was fine but now they are giving me more of a harder time."
Jacquot’s lawyer, David Deluzio, is not ruling out legal action.
"They have a high priority to respect people’s human rights and accommodate people so they can work regardless of what medicine they are taking or disability they may have."
Some suggest Jucquot rely on prescription drugs, but the Windsor man says that won't work.
"My biological mother, my biological older sister both overdosed on fentanyl so coming from personal experience I don't want to fool around with prescription medication," says Jucquot.
CTV News reached out to Ventra, but they did not respond.
However, a representative from UAW Local 251 says they do not speak on issues like this publicly.
