Medical Marijuana Legalization

[Chasinsparks]

Currently working on a research paper for a class I'm taking. Would like to get thoughts and opinions of others of Medical Marijuana.

For or against?

Pros and Cons

How do employers handle a person that is legally able to use marijuana, when it comes to drug testing.

This really affects Government Employees with security clearances.

I'm simply doing my paper on this subject because I feel prescription drug abuse has become a huge problem.

I know we are all here for the knowledge, passion, and love of our Spyders and that is why I have posted this in the OTB. Thank you in advance for any input.

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

as a business owner and employer i won't hire anyone who uses drugs or abuses alcohol. as a regular joe i don't care.

[Bob Denman]

For medical purposes only: I have no problem with it. :thumbup:

I have to admit to not being up to date on this subject... I thought I had read once, that pills had been developed that gave you the benefits; without making you feel impaired. Is that true?

[Grandpot]

As long as the medical community treats pot as a Schedule 1 narcotic (which it is), and it is only prescribed for specific illnesses, I'm OK with it.

I lost a son because he was addicted to pot. Anyone who thinks pot is not addictive needs to revisit his thought process.

[Lew L]

For medical purposes only: I have no problem with it. :thumbup:

I have to admit to not being up to date on this subject... I thought I had read once, that pills had been developed that gave you the benefits; without making you feel impaired. Is that true?

Me too---- we give CBD hemp oil to our dog for arthritis and it seems to have helped. ( Has a better appetite also :joke: )

BUT:

It's a slippery slope. The mm dispensaries here in town were all set up for legal (?) pot long before it became legal in this state. Booze causes enough problems. Do "We" need another intoxicant to cause more problems in a problem prone society.

So what drug is next ???

[pegasus1300]

I would like to see some double blind studies as to the medical benefits and the side effects.

[Chasinsparks]

If an employee is on Vicodin or other medication for an injury or illness, do you fire them?




as a business owner and employer i won't hire anyone who uses drugs or abuses alcohol. as a regular joe i don't care.

[Chasinsparks]

Hopefully, during my research, I will be able to answer your question too. I don't know much I was given this topic.




For medical purposes only: I have no problem with it. :thumbup:

I have to admit to not being up to date on this subject... I thought I had read once, that pills had been developed that gave you the benefits; without making you feel impaired. Is that true?

[Chasinsparks]

Sorry for your lost, thank you for your input




As long as the medical community treats pot as a Schedule 1 narcotic (which it is), and it is only prescribed for specific illnesses, I'm OK with it.

I lost a son because he was addicted to pot. Anyone who thinks pot is not addictive needs to revisit his thought process.

[Chasinsparks]

Interesting about the dog. Thank you for your input.







Me too---- we give CBD hemp oil to our dog for arthritis and it seems to have helped. ( Has a better appetite also :joke: )

BUT:

It's a slippery slope. The mm dispensaries here in town were all set up for legal (?) pot long before it became legal in this state. Booze causes enough problems. Do "We" need another intoxicant to cause more problems in a problem prone society.

So what drug is next ???

[jcthorne]

As an employee of a large company with federal contracts, I can answer the drug testing portion directly.

It does not matter if the weed is legal to you are not, if you test positive, you are dismissed. Period. Its not allowed under any government contract and applies to ALL employees no matter if they are working on a government contract or not. Marijuana is a bit different than alcohol or most pain meds in that it stays in the blood stream for weeks after use vs days or hours. Oh and you cannot test positive for Vicodin or alcohol either. There is nearly zero room for discussion or waiver on the subject.

If I were an employer directly, would enforce the same requirements as federal contracts.

[Chasinsparks]

Thanks for your input, Interesting enough I work in Government and
have been drug tested many times. I was on Vicodin, Percocet, and Valium for well over a year due to a broken back and many surgeries and as long as I had a current prescription it was a non-issue.





As an employee of a large company with federal contracts, I can answer the drug testing portion directly.

It does not matter if the weed is legal to you are not, if you test positive, you are dismissed. Period. Its not allowed under any government contract and applies to ALL employees no matter if they are working on a government contract or not. Marijuana is a bit different than alcohol or most pain meds in that it stays in the blood stream for weeks after use vs days or hours. Oh and you cannot test positive for Vicodin or alcohol either. There is nearly zero room for discussion or waiver on the subject.

If I were an employer directly, would enforce the same requirements as federal contracts.

[Chasinsparks]

As stated I have just been given this topic to write on, it is very much a heated topic with those that are for and those that are against.

I have not started actually digging deep into the research, but from what I see from just daily news and coffee shop gossip. I think prescription drugs are handed out too easy because of the financial gains for those writing the scripts, I don't see how dispensing medical marijuana will be any different. I have seen myself ads and signs advertising how they have experts on hand to ensure you get your medical card. Seems suspect to me.

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

If an employee is on Vicodin or other medication for an injury or illness, do you fire them?

if they will hurt themselves at work or screw up on the job, YES. maybe i would lay them off until they are off of the pain meds but
understand at my shop you probably would not come in for work if you had an injury.
now i'm sure most people may not care if their lugs were actually torqued correctly or just hand turned on but when you are on drugs
you have a better chance of screwing up and i care.

[Chasinsparks]

Thank you again, this is what I'm looking for a perspective from a business will definitely help with my study. I have gotten some good response, anywhere from if it was legal on a federal level just as many prescriptions are would that make a difference as some say it is natural vs the man made medications.

Again I'm not directing this at you in a negative way, you as a business owner adds a ton a value to me so this is in no way personal.

Reflecting back to your first post, if let's say the person needing the medical marijuana becomes you; maybe you get injured and or get Coloma and it was highly (no pun intended) advised you should try Medical Marijuana. Does your position change?

What if it is one of your family members need it does your position change?

I don't know and hopefully, my research will educate me but I don't think in medical usage form if it is regulated like prescription meds would have the same effect as some one who is using for pleasure.

Now the caveat would be the person using it for Medical purposes only would have to adhere to how it is prescribed






if they will hurt themselves at work or screw up on the job, YES. maybe i would lay them off until they are off of the pain meds but
understand at my shop you probably would not come in for work if you had an injury.
now i'm sure most people may not care if their lugs were actually torqued correctly or just hand turned on but when you are on drugs
you have a better chance of screwing up and i care.

[USAFE7RET]

I would recommend that you get your input from more reliable sources than the "man in the street" for your research. Numerous studies abound on the merits and benefits of marijuana and the derivatives from the plant.

The highest amount of push back is from Big Pharma who would stand to loose billions if it were made legal across the board, as well as the federal government having to admit (by actions) that the "war on drugs" was really a war on people, since the drug imports continue unabated. DEA is fighting a losing battle in this war, and as long as there is no direct action against the source, then the illegal drugs will continue to flow.

To answer your basic question, I am for legalizing marijuana. As a retired, disabled vet, I can tell you that the recent push against using opioids for pain management is not providing quality care for many of the veterans I see on a daily basis. I work at the VA, so I get to see it first hand.

There you now have my $0.02, for what it's worth. :)

[Tazzel]

I live in Colorado and work for City Government. It is a big deal here and brings in billions of dollars to the State and Cities. However, most companies still have drug polices. I am not sure who all is using since if you test positive you will be out of a job. Granted I have worked for City Government for over 10 years and there has been no random drug testing. However, they can demand one at anytime.

[Cal777]

In my company, if an employee is injured on the job, workman's comp won't pay if they test positive for drugs.

[SpyderAnn01]

I live in Nevada where medical marijuana has been legal for over one year. I was in the car today and saw a billboard advertising "medical marijuana cards" for $199. While I'm sure there are people who have legitimate medical needs for pot, the selling of cards leads me to believe that many just want to get high. Starting on July 1st recreational marijuana became legal here bringing with it a whole new set of issues.

[cuznjohn]

i used to be a heavy smoker of it. i stopped years ago. i mainly did it to meet girls. as long as we had pot, we made a lot of friends. now one of my female cousins daughters go's to collage out west where it is legal. the kid always makes sure she posts pictures of her smoking it. i get pissed off seeing the pictures, and i say it. well my cousin no longer talks to me because i say something.

if it is for medical reasons only, i have no problem with that. but in states where it is ok for medical only, almost any doctor will write a scrip for it. people that smoke for medical, should not work. they tend to smoke so much that they screw up. so personally i feel that if you need it, and smoke for health reasons, as long as you are on the stuff, you should not be able to get a job

[Chasinsparks]

Thanks for your input, part of the research is to see how society is reacting. Thank you for your service, I am retired disabled vet as well.



I would recommend that you get your input from more reliable sources than the "man in the street" for your research. Numerous studies abound on the merits and benefits of marijuana and the derivatives from the plant.

The highest amount of push back is from Big Pharma who would stand to loose billions if it were made legal across the board, as well as the federal government having to admit (by actions) that the "war on drugs" was really a war on people, since the drug imports continue unabated. DEA is fighting a losing battle in this war, and as long as there is no direct action against the source, then the illegal drugs will continue to flow.

To answer your basic question, I am for legalizing marijuana. As a retired, disabled vet, I can tell you that the recent push against using opioids for pain management is not providing quality care for many of the veterans I see on a daily basis. I work at the VA, so I get to see it first hand.

There you now have my $0.02, for what it's worth. :)

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

What if it is one of your family members need it does your position change?

NO. again i have nothing against smoking pot or drinking, i used to do both but i fully understand it interferes with work &
driving. if you want to smoke pot, cigarettes or drink fine by me but first i think you should pay higher insurance on all levels
since you are a higher risk.
Next there are jobs that you can not do when you are even a little high and should not be allowed to do so if you want the job
don't do drugs. you always see commercials that say 'you should not drive or operate heavy machinery when taking ----' and
i very much agree. if you need medical marijuana fine but it changes nothing with what you should be allowed to do. my position
is you have a choice and every action can have a consequence.
Would you want a president of the u.s. to need medical marijuana for his cancer and still make decisions that can effect the world?
No different then a bus driver or uber driver, pot makes your brain fuzzy and i don't trust people with a fuzzy brain or slower reflexes
anymore then i would trust someone with down syndrome with being able to drive a garbage truck or tractor trailer. when peoples
lives or business can be at risk I WON'T TAKE CHANCES on a feeling or opinion.
Now stay home all day & smoke & drink in your parents basement and some day you can grow up to be 40 years old and find out
you are bernie sanders.

[kbwitt]

as a business owner and employer i won't hire anyone who uses drugs or abuses alcohol. as a regular joe i don't care.

So it's OK if they drink a few but not OK to take a little pot .

[Bob Denman]

:lecturef_smilie: It's actually NOT okay to "Drink a few", if you're getting behind a steering wheel... nojoke

[Bob Denman]

:D I've actually been trying to NOT post this, because this has been a pretty serious discussion so far! :clap:

But I'm weak... :shocked:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCXqbjo6cb0


:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflb lack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:: roflblack:

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

So it's OK if they drink a few but not OK to take a little pot .

no it is not ok to drink a few, if i were to smell liquor or beer on an employees breath when they come back to work i would send them
home. i don't mind if you have a few at home and then drive to the gun range but i don't want to be anywhere near you then. you can drink, smoke & snort what you want but i won't hire you and won't shed a tear when s**t happens. that is for your family to do. i have never had any serious work related injuries to date and would like to keep it that way.

[Chasinsparks]

Thank you all for your input, I will be closing this thread later today after I read and take notes as I don't want it to become a heated discussion. I'm 100% disabled veteran due to injuries at no fault of my own I live in pain every day and choose to take nothing for it as I don't like the feeling of not being in control. I have never done drugs, I don't smoke and only drink occasionally.

I'm not sure where this study will take me as to which side of the fence I'm on, thanks again I will be spending some time out in public today doing more research on this topic.

[Bob Denman]

We'd like to hear what your conclusions are! :thumbup: