Drug testing - why test for marijuana?

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I was talking to a recruiter friend who was recently in the process of placing someone in a new position. She mentioned she hoped this individual would pass the drug test as she was made aware this person may have used marijuana in the past.

So my question was - if marijuana is legal (which in this state it is) - why would they test for it?

Answer was due to the equipment they would be using.

So I asked - well do they test for alcohol use? Answer - no.

So my question is - does it make sense to test for marijuana and not alcohol? Logically it just doesn't make sense to me.

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@Linkat,

Unless the job involves hazardous materials, the safety of the public, or operating heavy equipment, in a legal state it's more of a test for deviance than anything else. Alcohol has a long history in our culture. The demon weed, not so much.

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@Linkat,

Linkat wrote:

I was talking to a recruiter friend who was recently in the process of placing someone in a new position. She mentioned she hoped this individual would pass the drug test as she was made aware this person may have used marijuana in the past.

So my question was - if marijuana is legal (which in this state it is) - why would they test for it?

There still is a stigma that pot users are criminals or slackers, etc... Most members of a2k aren't human resources employees. Only they can answer this particular question on why corporate culture hasn't caught up to the 21st century.

Quote:

So I asked - well do they test for alcohol use? Answer - no.

Can companies legally drop an unannounced breathalyzer test on employees who may be intoxicated at work?

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Alcohol use can be tested to the minute level. Not sure if THC can.

It can be detected in the system, but at what level? And what level would mean you are drug- impaired?

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@PUNKEY,

PUNKEY wrote:

Alcohol use can be tested to the minute level. Not sure if THC can.

It can be detected in the system, but at what level? And what level would mean you are drug- impaired?

The drug testing that is done for companies - is done at a time prior to being employed. It is to test you to make sure you do not use certain drugs at all - whether in your leisure/vacation/day off or at work. It is not done during working hours. It is simply to test if you had used drugs - not sure the length of time you would need to be off say marijuana where it would not test it in your system.

I have had such a drug test - but that was prior to marijuana being legal. Not sure if my company includes that in their drug testing now - either way I don't use any so no skin off my back.

Just found it odd that they test for one thing that is legal, but not another. Because one can use it recreational without ever even considering using it while at work.

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@Linkat,

That's an excellent question. Employers can test employees for alcohol at work if an employee seems impaired, but marijuana tests positive for thirty days after use, so a recreational or medicinal user who is not under the influence at work could still test positive.

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I am favor of legalizing marijuana, but it still has to be used judiciously. Smoking and driving poses the same dangers and drinking and driving. Good judgement should be getting used.

three times this year, my kid has smelled marijuana when getting on their bus in the afternoon.

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Marijuana, in principle, is not a strong drug, but it has its consequences, as memory worsens, it can cause lung cancer

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@hostovit,

hostovit wrote:

Marijuana, in principle, is not a strong drug, but it has its consequences, as memory worsens, it can cause lung cancer

Addiction is the main problem. People pay ridiculous amounts of money to maintain addictions and it makes them prone to lying, cheating, and doing whatever else they have to do to ensure they have the supply of money they need to fund their habit.

If cannabis was an actual weed or grass that grew wild everywhere and there was no market in growing/selling it, then no one would be financially dependent because of it and you wouldn't have to worry about them being desperate for money to fund their habit.

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@livinglava,

Lol! The only lying stoners do is to not adequately state how many munchies they've had!

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@livinglava,

It used to grow wildly, but it was eradicated after it was criminalized. Even then, it's not expensive.

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@InfraBlue,

InfraBlue wrote:

It used to grow wildly, but it was eradicated after it was criminalized. Even then, it's not expensive.

Then why does the Bob Marley lyric say, "every time that I plant a seed, he say kill it before it grow?"

That implies that even traditional Rastafarians who use it for religious reasons cultivated it and didn't just harvest wild weeds and grasses growing naturally.

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@livinglava,

It was my understanding of the song "I Shot the Sheriff" that lyric refers to birth control, not pot.

https://medium.com/micro-chop/was-bob-marleys-i-shot-the-sheriff-about-birth-control-ed19ebc03997

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@neptuneblue,

neptuneblue wrote:

It was my understanding of the song "I Shot the Sheriff" that lyric refers to birth control, not pot.

https://medium.com/micro-chop/was-bob-marleys-i-shot-the-sheriff-about-birth-control-ed19ebc03997

Ok, if that's the case then nevermind. But how could it be about birth control when the lyrics say, "kill it before it grows?" How would he 'kill it?' Abortion? If so, why would the sheriff tell the man to abort a pregnancy instead of the pregnant woman herself? Like beating up the woman until she miscarries?

If you are right and cannabis used to grow wild everywhere, it was certainly not the kind of strains that have been bred to maximize potency and thus profit in the present day Marijuana markets.

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@livinglava,

You'd have to understand the turmoil of the 1970's where white rule conflicted with the majority black population. I'm not in no way an expert on Bob Marley, only to say he was seen as a threat to how the masses were controlled.

Naturally grown pot exists in many warm, tepid climates especially southern and eastern Asia. Again, I'm not an expert, however those countries that can cultivate the plant naturally have extreme controls against the growth, cultivation and usage of the product.

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@neptuneblue,

neptuneblue wrote:

You'd have to understand the turmoil of the 1970's where white rule conflicted with the majority black population. I'm not in no way an expert on Bob Marley, only to say he was seen as a threat to how the masses were controlled.

Or you'd have to understand how text relates to meaning, i.e. by denoting and connoting it.

Quote:

Naturally grown pot exists in many warm, tepid climates especially southern and eastern Asia. Again, I'm not an expert, however those countries that can cultivate the plant naturally have extreme controls against the growth, cultivation and usage of the product.

And why do you suppose there are 'extreme' controls against it? Do you supposed it's just because people like being mean to other people and we should all just live in peace and let people do whatever they want with their bodies?

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