As more states legalize cannabis, its use is becoming increasingly common in our country. While some people enjoy smoking marijuana as an activity, others prefer to use it for medical reasons or as a way to relax.
Many employers look at past drug use as a reason to disqualify someone from employment or require them to go through rehabilitation. Others believe if you’re not using drugs now, then you won’t start once working for us.
The thing about drug usage is that there are many types of drugs, and what effects one substance has on a person can vary wildly depending on who they are and what they might be used for.
This article will talk about how most non-medical uses of cannabis affect the job market, and what employers should do when they find out about cannabis use. It will also discuss legal repercussions for employees caught under federal law.
More and more employers are allowing their employees to use medical marijuana
As cannabis is legalized in greater amounts, it has become increasingly common for employers to be open about its legality in the workplace. This is particularly true in professions that require significant interaction with other people, such as working in a restaurant or serving drinks.
Some employers go even further than this and offer health benefits to workers who need CBD or THC to manage pain or treat certain conditions.
This comes at a cost though- how can you promote drug use in your workforce? How do you handle grievances when some staff members feel excluded because they cannot work while others can?
These are all questions that must be answered before implementing drug testing policies in the workplace. Fortunately, there are ways to tackle them!
Here we will talk about why drug testing in the workplace is not a good idea and what types of tests are used to detect drugs. We will then look into the different substances that are commonly tested for and what those results mean.
Most states allow recreational use of marijuana
As more and more States legalize cannabis for both medicinal and recreational uses, employers are becoming increasingly concerned about the effect it may have on their employees. More than half of all State governments have legalized medical marijuana in some form, with many now also legalizing adult-use pot.
Many employers already screen job applicants via drug tests that look for THC (the psychoactive compound found in cannabis), but what about those who test positive? For individuals with work-related responsibilities that involve using or handling cannabis, there are options.
Some people manage their symptoms by switching medications or doses, so they can continue working. Others find other jobs that don’t require them to handle drugs or be exposed to drugs at work, or they train themselves how to do tasks more efficiently so they don’t need to use much cannabis. But whether these strategies work depends on the individual, the medication being used, and the position being held.
There is no clear answer as to whether having past convictions for possession or use of cannabis affects an employee’s chances of getting hired. However, potential employers typically run criminal background checks and health screening exams before offering employment, which could include testing for drug use.
Many states have also legalized recreational use of marijuana
As more and more States legalize cannabis for medical or even recreational purposes, it becomes increasingly important to look at the job market impacts that this drug will have. Recent studies show that legalization can actually help your career!
Many companies recruit directly from universities, so their recruitment processes include some type of alcohol screening. Drinking alcohol in the workplace is a no-go unless you’re medically requiring it, so people with work-mandated drinks screenings cannot be tested positive for weed. This could affect your chances of getting hired depending on if there are legal restrictions on cannabis in your state, too.
Some positions require mandatory breaks, so someone may need to eat while working and then go out to smoke after work, potentially breaking up the time frame within which they would normally be able to consume legally. A lot of jobs also ask about daily stressors – anything from family issues to health problems – so being able to control your moods and emotions due to potential cannabis usage might hurt your candidacy.
Medical conditions like arthritis or migraines can make doing heavy physical labor impossible without causing significant pain and loss of function, and thusly employers won’t hire individuals who they feel wouldn’t be able to perform their duties just because of an illness. People with certain diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, or cancer face similar challenges, but perhaps less acutely than those with arthritic pains or other physically debilitating ailments.
Most states allow employers to test employees for marijuana
In some cases, it is even permissible to ask about past cannabis use or questions regarding current smoking habits in the workplace. The second part of this rule is that if you do not smoke weed yourself, then it is illegal for your employer to reward someone who does by giving them a raise, etc.!
This can be tricky because most people have at least experimented with pot once in their lives. It’s very common to feel nostalgic while also feeling ashamed or guilty for your past behavior.
Many students struggle with finding employment after college due to worries about whether they were exposed to THC during childhood development. This is totally normal and should not hinder your career goal!
It is important to remember that although using cannabis may impact your job search now, it doesn’t mean you are disqualified forever. Many successful individuals reportedly used drugs in the past which has no effect on our personal life today, but hurt his/her professional one back then.
Many states require employers to allow employees to use medical marijuana
A growing number of companies are offering cannabis as a workplace drug policy, allowing their workers to smoke or ingest marijuana before, during, or after work. This is becoming increasingly common as public perception shifts towards supporting legal weed.
Many large corporations have already adopted this practice, and more are doing so every day. In fact, Forbes has listed five reasons why employers should be open to cannabis at work.
Given that marijuana can improve concentration and focus, it makes sense for employers to include marijuana in the list of drugs they permit in the office.
Marijuana also may promote team building by encouraging colleagues to share snacks and drinks.
Many employers are still not allowing employees to use marijuana
More than half of all U.S. states have now legalized medical or recreational cannabis, but that doesn’t mean people can use it in the workplace without consequences. In fact, many employers are still not letting their workers use pot, which is why so many professionals are out of work at this time.
While there has been some progress towards legalizing weed in America, there are several major hurdles that remain. One of these hurdles is whether or not your employee uses cannabis outside of work. If they do, then how much they consume is also important because THC levels matter! The more you expose someone to THC, the higher their chance of experiencing symptoms or complications from using marijuana.
These symptoms and complications include mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as physical ones such as dry mouth, impaired coordination, and sleep problems. All of these could potentially affect an individual’s performance while at work, which would be very frustrating for both them and their employer.
There are many challenges facing the job market
As more states legalize cannabis, it becomes increasingly important to assess how cannabis use impacts the workplace. The way employers perceive drug use in their offices or workplaces can make an impression that goes far beyond someone’s social status.
There have been several studies done on this topic, with some finding that cannabis users face greater obstacles when trying to find employment than those who don’t use drugs. Others find the opposite – that cannabis users have easier times securing jobs.
What isn’t really studied is whether using marijuana makes it harder for people to keep their jobs. A person may feel comfortable letting loose after work, but then they wake up the next day and realize they didn’t pick up the pieces of business the night before. Or maybe you had a bad meeting with your boss that morning, so you decide not to show up.
This could be why there are sometimes reports of workers with cannabis records being offered lower paying positions or even fired. It also means that instead of looking into potential candidates’ criminal histories, some companies opt to pass over applicants because they suspect them to be under the influence at work.
Can marijuana negatively affect employees’ performance while working? Absolutely! But does that mean we should ban it completely from the workforce? No. That would go too far.
Having a casual drink now and again is one thing, but binge drinking and drug abuse are totally different stories.
Some of the challenges include a lack of qualified workers
As more states legalize cannabis, employers are having to look beyond traditional sources for employment. With marijuana now being legalized in some form by 32 out of 50 states, there is an increase in job opportunities for those with and without experience using or producing cannabis.
Many employers are facing difficulties finding suitable candidates that match up with positions. There’s a limited number of people with work experiences within the cannabis industry, which makes it hard to source employees with adequate qualifications.
Some potential hires don’t want to be part of the weed culture, while others can’t pass a drug test due to their recent use. It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit individuals with no prior working knowledge of cannabis!
Legal restrictions also pose problems for certain jobs, such as requiring background checks or limiting where you can apply. These issues prevent companies from offering competitive salaries and benefits.
