Week 6 EOC: Weed in the Work Place

In my opinion recreational marijuana use should not be tolerated by an employer, however the use of medical marijuana should be tolerated but only with a legitimate document that proves the need of medical marijuana. “If an employee tests positive for marijuana, the employer should ask the worker to verify that he is a participant in a recognized medical marijuana program. The employer conducts further evaluation of the employment situation.” (SHRM). If an employee does not need pot for a medical use, then he should not be hired for safety reasons due to the “under the influence” factor on the job. “Marijuana use has been linked to an increase in job accidents and injuries…” (ohsonline). There should be insurance forms and a scheduled time for the employee to smoke. The reason I say this is because I know people who qualify for medical marijuana cards even though they have no medical reasons that prove they need pot. There should be more documents that state they need pot besides a medical card. For the exact reason that they can just get a medical card so easily. As of now, a positive test can be vital. “The penalty for a positive test is often a refusal to hire or, for those who are already employees, discipline up to and including termination.” (ohsonline). A law should be legalized that can determine the necessity of the drug to the user. As an employer I would follow the law of not hiring anybody that tests positive for marijuana use, however if the law (determining the necessity and having legal documents to prove otherwise) was passed I would not refuse the opportunity for the employee.