Legally High, Legally Fired For Pot Use

Scripps News quoted Danielle Urban and Kate Raabe in the article titled “Legally High, Legally Fired For Pot Use.”

The owner of a temporary staffing company outside of Seattle told Scripps News she sees job prospects go up in marijuana smoke every day.

Since December 2012, when Washington state legalized recreational use of the drug, positive marijuana tests among her job applicants have more than tripled to about 15 percent. That means headaches for companies struggling to maintain a drug-free workforce in drug-legal states, according to the article.

The experiences of Colorado and Washington are being closely watched nationally. A January survey of more than 300 employers across Colorado by Mountain States found most companies sticking with existing drug testing policies and continuing to screen for marijuana. About three quarters drug test (a majority are required to test by federal law) and of those, about one-in five said they made their policy more stringent, according to the article.

The question Kate says companies should be asking themselves is “How much risk, how much liability are you willing to take on for a worker that may be impaired with a substance that’s still illegal under federal law?”

Workers who think legalized marijuana will compel companies to accommodate their marijuana use are abruptly realizing otherwise, according to the Scripps News article.

“Right now, there’s a great deal of confusion. People are surprised to learn they can lose their jobs,’’ said Danielle.

The full article is available on  WSMV.com.