R & S regulars, how do you feel about this?

Question

My state (Oregon) just passed a bill that allows businesses to fire or deny jobs to employees/hopefuls who have a medical marijuana card and fail a drug screen.


How do you feel about this?

glaucoma doesn't put you on the death bed elerth, yet it is shown to retard the progression of your vision

I mean regression

Answer 1

I've actually known people with glaucoma and cancer for whom medical marijuana was of great benefit. So I think this is unfair UNLESS it's a job operating machinery of some sort (just for safety reasons). I mean, if you're just answering phones, who cares if you have it in your system or not?

Answer 2

It seems perfectly reasonable to me. Unless the employer is allowed to control when and where the employee will use the drug, how can they be sure that this person won't be sky-high while on the job? If this person were applying for a job with a service company, how would the business' customers feel about having someone show up at their house who may or may not be under the influence of marijuana? How about that person driving a company vehicle while under the influence?

Yes, of course, a person should be responsible enough not to use the drug before or during working hours, but I think we all know that people cannot always be trusted when drugs are involved....even if they happen to be for medical purposes.

Answer 3

I guess a lot depends on the job. I mean, I sure don't want the pilot burning a couple of bowls before I get on the plane, do you?

I just read an article about how pot has gotten much stronger than back in the day, and that many people are hallucinating, and going to the emergency room because of marijuana.

Would you let some dude do bong hits and then hand him the keys to your brand new car? I mean, should businesses have to allow them to operate heavy machinery just because they got some activist doctor to write a prescription for medical marijuana? What about that 18 wheeler barreling right at you doing 65 MPH, does it matter if the driver just burned some skunk? It does to me.

Answer 4

You can fail a drug screen for reasons other than marijuana. And many businesses aren't allowed to hire people who can't pass a drug test, no matter what the reason is. Even if you have a medical condition that allows you to take marijuana, you still shouldn't be driving or operating machinery or working as a nurse or something.

I'm completely in favor of medical marijuana, but I can see the disadvantages to hiring someone who's on it.

Answer 5

That is something for the law to decide not a religion. I think most religions would not look upon a usage of medical marijuana any different than the use of other drugs that have the same or similar affects that are now legal.

Answer 6

personally i think all drugs should be legal, and its the wrongs you do afterward that must be accounted for. what you do with your own body as long as it doesnt hurt anyone else should be your own business. laws should be designed to protect people from physical or mental damage from other people. and drugs do not necessarily mean your going to be "violent", especially with marijuana...

i may not think that drugs are moral or anything, but do think its a mistake that others should have the right to make, its not my business to impose my sense of morality on another person.

as for this law, its just another freedom being squandered.
of course some people simply cant do certain jobs based on the medical condition they are in.

Answer 7

Does any state have a medical marijuana card that is universally accepted? I have never heard of one, I mean, some states allow it, technically, but then they do not allow anyone to sell the weed, or produce the weed, or to have it in their system anyway..

Answer 8

Wow, that's tricky. If it's a job that requires a high level of thinking or coordination, they may not be able to insure people who use marijuana, even if they're using it legally.

In some jobs though, if it isn't affecting their performance, I think it would be discrimination.

Answer 9

Hmm... at first glance that sounds pretty wack. Are there stipulations on how they must fail (eg: they have to show up positive for things other than pot?)

Otherwise, that's pretty discriminatory towards people with medical conditions.

Answer 10

If the job requires some serious concentration efforts, like the handling of heavy machinery then I think it makes sense.