Legalized Marijuana Use...What Are The Implications At Work?

PHOTO by Coleen Danger

As I'm sure many of you know by now, both the states of Washington and Colorado have by popular vote legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Though it is still illegal to grow or sale marijuana, it is legal to have in your possession up to one ounce of it for your own use. Which of course begs the question, if it's still illegal to grow it or sale it, how are people in those states supposed to be getting hold of it? I have yet to read anything about this dilemma yet at any news sites. It seems to me that this is a rather large loophole that makes me wonder if anything has really changed.

Also, I've wondered what the implications are for workers and businesses in those states? If the state governments have "decriminalized" marijuana, what happens when someone tests positive for the substance when trying to get a job, or keep a job? Is it still legal for businesses in those states to fire you, or not hire you in the first place for testing positive for THC, (the active chemical in marijuana). Is it even still legal to test employees for THC in those states now? Can a company fire you or deny you employment for using a substance that is no longer illegal? Do companies residing in these states have to follow state law, or federal law? Can these companies have policies prohibiting the use of something that is now legal? I have yet to hear anything in the news that addresses these questions, and I'd certainly like to hear more about this side of the situation seeing as how the internet is "abuzz" with the idea that this is the beginning of a cascade event in which more and more state governments will begin decriminalizing the drug. President Obama has stated that the Federal government, "has bigger fish to fry", than prosecuting marijuana users in states that have legalized it's use. While I have yet to hear any definitive statement saying that Federal authorities will not prosecute marijuana users, it seems that, for right now at least, there is no rush to clamp down on this.

I'm hoping that soon the media will stop simply reporting the basic facts with a picture of someone lighting up a joint, and start looking deeper into this and the implications that will stem from the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. I'd also like to hear from you readers about your thoughts on the subject, feel free to comment on this post, especially if you live in either Washington or Colorado!

UPDATE: Apparently I was wrong on at least one point; in the state of Colorado at least, limited sales of marijuana is legal. Also here's a LINK to a story dated today at denverpost.com about the formation of a taskforce set up to address some of the issues I've raised in this article.