MARIJUANA AT WORK
Handling The Legal
Marijuana Issue At Work
I
f there is one thing that most people
in the United States have learned over
their lifetimes, it’s that you shouldn’t
show up to work under the influence.
Drug tests are a standard part of many
job screenings, and positive results would
traditionally rule out any possible drug
users, including those who are partaking
in marijuana. So what happens now that
legalization of marijuana is expanding
across the nation? How will workplaces
reconcile the current laws—some of which
30
seem to be contradictory—with their
traditional and standard policies on this
issue?
Whether it is stated directly or simply
implied, most everyone understands that
employers are responsible for individuals
who are employed on their property and
who are acting under their authority.
Thus, employers have the right, should
they so choose, to put drug policies in
place. It is essential, however, that they
have a documented cannabis policy that
can mitigate some of the risks they might
become open to due to the new laws and
regulations. This isn’t done to exclude
employees who use marijuana; it is done to
protect the business from potential negative
consequences of that use.
Businesses are responsible, first and
foremost, for the protection of their own
interests, employee safety, and customer
safety. The flip side to that is that medical