# Dropping marijuana from drug tests



## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta suggested at a congressional hearing last month that employers should take a "step back" on drug testing.

"We have all these Americans that are looking to work," Acosta said. "Are we aligning our ... drug testing policies with what's right for the workforce?"


There is no definitive data on how many companies conduct drug tests, though the Society for Human Resource Management found in a survey that 57 percent do so. Nor is there any recent data on how many have dropped marijuana from mandatory drug testing.

https://www.statesmanjournal.com/st...-dropping-marijuana-pot-drug-tests/573907002/


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

I have a nephew who for years couldn't pass a drug test, so he worked fast food and lived with friends.
One day he found a girl, fell in love, got engaged and stopped smoking weed.
Now he's doing great, making money, bought a pickup, has his own place and visits his parents regularly.
He grew up and stopped smoking weed


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## no really (Aug 7, 2013)

Wonder how this would work with liability insurance? I do think marijuana should be legalized, no different than liquor.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I think this is a good idea. If they consume on their off time then they should not be penalized by employment.

Is there a test like a breathalyzer that can show you are under the influence at the moment? If not someone could make a lot of money with that invention.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

no really said:


> Wonder how this would work with liability insurance?


The problem seems to be many of the insurance companies demand totally negative drug tests before they will pay damages, and marijuana is detectable in the system far longer than it's effects can be felt.


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I've heard alot of companies are moving to the swap test. It's cheaper and wuickrr but the least sensitive. I haven't googled this but what a couple worker told me about it was, that it would only register marijuana use in the last X hours. ( It was a low number)


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

Just gooedgo and appears a saliva test it registers for up to a week.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Cornhusker said:


> I have a nephew who for years couldn't pass a drug test, so he worked fast food and lived with friends.
> One day he found a girl, fell in love, got engaged and stopped smoking weed.
> Now he's doing great, making money, bought a pickup, has his own place and visits his parents regularly.
> He grew up and stopped smoking weed


I infer from your post that your take is that it was the weed that was making his life something less than great. 

I would suggest that it was the government’s extra-constitutional choice to take a stance on something they have no business even having an opinion on that caused your nephew’s career prospects to suffer, and that it was only when he decided to give up something he enjoyed, and “do as his betters told him to”, that he was allowed to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. 



And, no, for the record, I don’t use nor like the stuff. I just think it’s a shame that so many people are forced to live up to something less than their potential just because the government decided that the limitations on the powers we granted it were merely suggestions.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

I still haven't had a good answer to the question as to why the Feds knew it was required to pass a Constitutional amendment to outlaw alcohol, but, don't to outlaw other currently illegal drugs?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My opinion is that like any other medication, if you have a scrip for MJ you should be able to provide that info and have that part overlooked. They already do that with most commonly used prescription medicine. 

But, would you want your taxi driver, bus driver, airline pilot, surgeon, etc to be a "casual" drug user?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> I would suggest that it was the government’s extra-constitutional choice to take a stance on something they have no business even having an opinion on that caused your nephew’s career prospects to suffer, and that it was only when he decided to give up something he enjoyed, and “do as his betters told him to”, that he was allowed to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.


The Govt isn't forcing businesses to do pre-employment drug testing.
It's usually the insurance companies.

They simply don't want people high at work whether the drug of choice is pills, MJ or alcohol.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Danaus29 said:


> My opinion is that like any other medication, if you have a scrip for MJ you should be able to provide that info and have that part overlooked. They already do that with most commonly used prescription medicine.
> 
> But, would you want your taxi driver, bus driver, airline pilot, surgeon, etc to be a "casual" drug user?


What is the difference between that and someone drinking alcohol? As long as they are not under the influence when driving their should be no problem.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Yeh, there's a reason I don't get in the car with my brother behind the wheel. I've got relatives addicted to both. They all claim the use is "casual" hence the quote marks. I'll drive myself, thanks. I know how these people act during their dry spells and how they act when they "need" their fix.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

Danaus29 said:


> But, would you want your taxi driver, bus driver, airline pilot, surgeon, etc to be a "casual" drug user?


As long as they are not under the influence of their drug of choice, why should it matter? Is there really a difference if a person relaxes at the end of the day by drinking a beer or 12 and a person who eats a "special" brownie?


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

I know and have know many people over the years that drink or smoke. People who are in the highest positions in government and business. I have had no problem driving with them when they are not under the influence. Addicted and under the influence is something else all together.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Would the tests distinguish between the person who relaxes at the end of the day or is an "only on the weekend" user and an addict?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Farmerga said:


> As long as they are not under the influence of their drug of choice, why should it matter? Is there really a difference if a person relaxes at the end of the day by drinking a beer or 12 and a person who eats a "special" brownie?


I base my opinion on the people I know and have known. To me there really is a difference between people who smoke weed and those who don't.


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

Man! Look at this cool gun! Could I, like, point at somebody, shoot them, and end them? Naw, they'll just come back to life. just like in the Toon's


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> I infer from your post that your take is that it was the weed that was making his life something less than great.


I'm saying he couldn't get hired at a decent job until he cleaned up his act and could pass a whiz quiz.
I'm not saying pot is good or bad, but if you want to get a decent job, chances are you'll have to pee in a cup.
That's just the facts of life, and sometimes you just have to make a change if want your life to change.


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## catsboy (May 14, 2015)

All of my employees carry DOT cards. Is the DOT going to drop MJ testing?


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## gerold (Jul 18, 2011)

I know a lot of people that have used drugs and most I have known are a high risk at driving and also on the job. I know most people in this small town. I have two young men that cut down my timber and run my sawmill. They work 5 hours a day 3 days a week. I pay them by piece work. This is very hard and demanding work. Safety work habits is very important in this line of work. Each man earns about $300 each day for 5 hours work. I trained them myself and they are very good workers. 

I have a 4H young lady that works with the pigs and other animals. She will make a very good farmer. She is in school and in the 4H program.
She is a safe operator on farm equipment. She also makes good wages here that helps pay for her education. All her expenses are earned by herself with no government loans, etc. 
I cover all insurance cost for my employees. In this line of work insurance is expensive and a requirement.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

My husband has worked for New York State since 1983, he's been in corrections (prison psych center), a nurse, and now a nurse administrator, he's never been drug tested. I've never been drug tested either.


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## catsboy (May 14, 2015)

Irish Pixie said:


> My husband has worked for New York State since 1983, he's been in corrections (prison psych center), a nurse, and now a nurse administrator,
> he's never been drug tested. I've never been drug tested either.


Must be the luck of the Irish. I have spent about 15 years of my work career with companies that had drug testing and other than the pre employment I was never tested. One guy I worked with was hit three times a year for a 4 year stretch (they did quarterly random) and this was company with over 1000 employees.


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

catsboy said:


> Must be the luck of the Irish. I have spent about 15 years of my work career with companies that had drug testing and other than the pre employment I was never tested. One guy I worked with was hit three times a year for a 4 year stretch (they did quarterly random) and this was company with over 1000 employees.


NYS doesn't drug test in the jobs he's held, they do random DOT drug and alcohol tests.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

The company I work for does pre employment screening and random drug tests.
So far in over 18 years, I've had to go for a pee once.
This is a dangerous place, lots of big machines, heavy steel, forklifts everywhere, we can't have someone a little fuzzy


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

people that smoke dope don't need to be doing anything that requires their attention. Personally I think every job should have drug test. A person can choose to be a bum and smoke dope or work and be a productive part of society.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

M5farm said:


> people that smoke dope don't need to be doing anything that requires their attention. Personally I think every job should have drug test. A person can choose to be a bum and smoke dope or work and be a productive part of society.


No one that I know that partake is a bum. Far from it.


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

Cornhusker said:


> I'm saying he couldn't get hired at a decent job until he cleaned up his act and could pass a whiz quiz.
> I'm not saying pot is good or bad, but if you want to get a decent job, chances are you'll have to pee in a cup.
> That's just the facts of life, and sometimes you just have to make a change if want your life to change.


But, see, there’s even a pretty clear implication in that statement. You said he couldn’t get a job until he “cleaned up his act”. 

Now, I obviously don’t know your nephew. For all I know, he could have been the legendary missing member of the Cheech, Chong, and Bongo Trio that the other members threw out for being TOO stoned. He could also be the average pot smoker who takes a few hits in their off-time with friends now and then. 

The problem with most pot tests, at least until now, was that a positive result could pop for something you smoked with friends weeks earlier. A failing test didn’t necessarily indicate that you were stoned right then, or even that you were a habitual user who couldn’t be trusted with an important job, only that you were exposed to it recently enough for “your betters” to determine you were a sinner according to the gospel of the government. 

Why are you OK with that?


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## HDRider (Jul 21, 2011)

Monkey - I think it is somewhat accepted as fact that pot does lessen ambition in some.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> But, see, there’s even a pretty clear implication in that statement. You said he couldn’t get a job until he “cleaned up his act”.
> 
> Now, I obviously don’t know your nephew. For all I know, he could have been the legendary missing member of the Cheech, Chong, and Bongo Trio that the other members threw out for being TOO stoned. He could also be the average pot smoker who takes a few hits in their off-time with friends now and then.
> 
> ...


I didn't really say I was OK with that.
What I'm not OK with is a full grown man in his mid to late 20s spending his days stoned and skateboarding.
We didn't think he'd ever grow up, but he finally did.
Fact is, he knew none of the mines or other good paying jobs would hire him until he could test clean. He chose to sponge off his parents and work fast food until he was 28. (Did i mention the skateboard was his transportation?)
If people want to spend their McDonald's paycheck on pot, that's OK with me, and if they legalize it, I'll be ok with that too.
In fact, I might just plant 40 acres of old fashioned ditchweed to pad my retirement fund.
What they need is a way to test whether or not someone is currently under the influence of the Devils Lettuce or if it's residual from last weekends concert.


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Medical workers already have a higher incident of abusing medications, I wouldn't want to have to wonder if they are also high as well while working with patients, doing surgery, etc. I have had to pee in a cup with every job I have had and now in nursing school, had to get a more extensive drug test upon entry. 

Whatever anyone wishes to believe, it DOES inhibit your reaction time, it inhibits how you think and is a calming effect, among other things.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Farmerga said:


> I still haven't had a good answer to the question as to why the Feds knew it was required to pass a Constitutional amendment to outlaw alcohol, but, don't to outlaw other currently illegal drugs?


When they passed the alcohol amendment FDR had not yet destroyed the supreme courts will to stand up and do their job. Those days are long since gone.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

Danaus29 said:


> I base my opinion on the people I know and have known. To me there really is a difference between people who smoke weed and those who don't.


There is also a difference between people who drink alcohol and those who don't. Do we want to go down the road of banning that again? What about people who eat too much fat? Are we going to insist that they eat a government approved diet?


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Question for SOMEONE WHO KNOWS FACTS who can maybe also provide a link.

Do these "Drug Tests" also test for alcohol levels and for longterm alcohol use ?
Do these Tests also test for Pharmaceutical Drugs that impair ? _You know, those with the stickers that state "do not drive or use heavy equipment" and similar because they alter your reactions, responses or even make you stoned one way or another ?

Breathalyzers, Saliva Tests and Quick Blood Tests are available already and now being tested in the USA with some just being approved for use, same in Canada as we are going Legal in a few months, a priority has been on that tech and certifying their validity to our standards and for compliance. It has proven to be challenging because different chemicals & drugs (Alcohol IS a drug) is processed differently by the human body and while some leave the body fast, others do not, yet their effect may no longer be a factor as only traces remain, possibly for days. _


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

There are different panels of test most every one is going to 11panel which screens opioids , alcohol test are also random also. If a person wants to do whatever drugs I don't care. But they have no business on the roads or in any capacity that could danger others. Stay home and eat Cheetos and waste your life on your own dime.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Farmerga said:


> There is also a difference between people who drink alcohol and those who don't. Do we want to go down the road of banning that again? What about people who eat too much fat? Are we going to insist that they eat a government approved diet?


They are already headed that way. Didn't New York ban 32 oz slurpies or Big Gulps or something?
I think California has some kind of food laws in the works maybe?
Just practice runs in case they take over the country again.


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

Cornhusker said:


> They are already headed that way. Didn't New York ban 32 oz slurpies or Big Gulps or something?
> I think California has some kind of food laws in the works maybe?
> Just practice runs in case they take over the country again.


They won't take over the country as long as our 2nd amendment is still, and always will be, intact.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

So, a substance that impairs your thinking, awareness, and reaction time while on the job wont be tested for?
So, personal and public safety while on the job is not necessary?

I had a pot head work for me for a while. I had to let him go because the pot was interfering with his ability to work properly. 
Was it the pot? Yes. I know because I hired back when he didn't smoke pot and he was more energetic, focused, willing to hustle a little. After the pot, forget it....slower, no desire, fuzzy focus.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Cornhusker said:


> They are already headed that way. Didn't New York ban 32 oz slurpies or Big Gulps or something?
> I think California has some kind of food laws in the works maybe?
> Just practice runs in case they take over the country again.


Mayor Bloomburg wanted to have a soda ban. The libs claim soda makes people fat. Maybe it was the binge eating on the pot that made some people fat.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

I do not care what forms of relaxation a person consumes when their in off duty or private settings. 

There is more than one form of being under the influence. 

Having worked around high risk trades most of my life I have no interest in working or driving around someone under the influence, of any thing that can cause such issues. Keep in mind that someone with a hangover from last nights alcohol is as big a issue as someone drinking or smoking or doing other legal or illegal drugs at work. 

People do not have the RIGHT to a high paying job. It’s just a fact of life that there are many things you can do when not at work that affects your work life.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> But, see, there’s even a pretty clear implication in that statement. You said he couldn’t get a job until he “cleaned up his act”.
> 
> Now, I obviously don’t know your nephew. For all I know, he could have been the legendary missing member of the Cheech, Chong, and Bongo Trio that the other members threw out for being TOO stoned. He could also be the average pot smoker who takes a few hits in their off-time with friends now and then.
> 
> ...



A few hits? what is the point of that? 

For some people dumping pot and drinking does clean up their life and they ant clean up their life until they dump the drugs.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

I love how some people use alcohol and ciggs as the reasoning for justifying free unchecked societal use of pot. 
Really, you are going to compare how normal and safe pot is by holding it up to ciggs and drink?
They are all bad for you.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

City Bound said:


> I love how some people use alcohol and ciggs as the reasoning for justifying free unchecked societal use of pot.
> Really, you are going to compare how normal and safe pot is by holding it up to ciggs and drink?
> They are all bad for you.


Then either all 3 should be illegal or legal. If they are equal and bad .


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

i have never heard " since i started drinking and doing drugs my life has turned around and i am more successful " 
there is no organization called . Igotmylifeontrack anonymous


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

nchobbyfarm said:


> Then either all 3 should be illegal or legal. If they are equal and bad .


I don't think they are all equal.
Pot and booze might be equal as far as messing with your thinking and reflexes, I don't know, but as far as I know, tobacco just smells bad and kills you slowly.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

nchobbyfarm said:


> Then either all 3 should be illegal or legal. If they are equal and bad .


And they are. All three are both legal and illegal. 

If the decriminalization of pot continues then at some point stricter regulation is going to have to come in to manage it. Like drink and ciggs, which are both legal for adults but not minors, the whole discussion of how old a person has to be to legally smoke pot, where and when people can smoke it, and how strong it can be comes up for debate. Once again, criminality in relation to pot comes into existence when it comes to underage smoking and the sale of pot to minors. The love-in mentality wont cut it for the long run.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

City Bound said:


> And they are. All three are both legal and illegal.
> 
> If the decriminalization of pot continues then at some point stricter regulation is going to have to come in to manage it. Like drink and ciggs, which are both legal for adults but not minors, the whole discussion of how old a person has to be to legally smoke pot, where and when people can smoke it, and how strong it can be comes up for debate. Once again, criminality in relation to pot comes into existence when it comes to underage smoking and the sale of pot to minors. The love-in mentality wont cut it for the long run.


I believe that every state that legalizes does have laws on legal age.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

City Bound said:


> And they are. All three are both legal and illegal.
> 
> If the decriminalization of pot continues then at some point stricter regulation is going to have to come in to manage it. Like drink and ciggs, which are both legal for adults but not minors, the whole discussion of how old a person has to be to legally smoke pot, where and when people can smoke it, and how strong it can be comes up for debate. Once again, criminality in relation to pot comes into existence when it comes to underage smoking and the sale of pot to minors. The love-in mentality wont cut it for the long run.


Possession of pot at any age is illegal in NC. So they are not all legal. No matter how you try to spin it.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

painterswife said:


> I believe that every state that legalizes does have laws on legal age.


It is going to have to go further then that if it is going to be regulated on the same level as drink and ciggs. On top of that it will need to be taxed like ciggs and drink. 

One major concern about pot smoking in public or indoor areas shared with other people is the effects of a contact high. I have experienced this and it is real. Second hand smoke is a problem that many localities, especially liberal run areas, are starting to outlaw and regulate. Second hand pot smoke is strong and it clouds people's thinking and judgement.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

City Bound said:


> It is going to have to go further then that if it is going to be regulated on the same level as drink and ciggs. On top of that it will need to be taxed like ciggs and drink.
> 
> One major concern about pot smoking in public or indoor areas shared with other people is the effects of a contact high. I have experienced this and it is real. Second hand smoke is a problem that many localities, especially liberal run areas, are starting to outlaw and regulate. Second hand pot smoke is strong and it clouds people's thinking and judgement.


It is taxed. That is half the reason to legalize it. There are laws about where you can smoke it as well. I think you should look at the laws that go into effect before the states legalize it. You are a little behind the times.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

nchobbyfarm said:


> Possession of pot at any age is illegal in NC. So they are not all legal. No matter how you try to spin it.


Not spin. On a national level all three have variants of legal and illegal depending where you go.


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

When we were in Colorado Springs last September visiting long time friends, they were telling us all the problems that their town, and Colorado as a whole has had since making pot legal. Vagrants, a shop on almost every other corner, loitering, they have seen a rise in vehicle accidents and unemployment. 

No easy answer. But for now, it is the right of an employer to have drug testing and not hire anyone who does not pass one.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

painterswife said:


> It is taxed. That is half the reason to legalize it. There are laws about where you can smoke it as well. I think you should look at the laws that go into effect before the states legalize it. You are a little behind the times.


On a federal level it is still illegal. if the feds change their mind there will be further laws, restrictions, and taxes that will give birth to new branches of crime and criminal activity. As the pendulum swings and the public begins to see pot as a problem for health and society, like they did with ciggs, you can bet there will be even further taxation and restriction put in place as a punitive measure. 

When they regulate the strength of the pot for sale it is going to take more of it to get a buzz or to get stoned and that will drive up the cost of the habit as well as the time the person with the habit has to devote to the habit. 

Maybe I am bit behind the times, maybe not, but in the end legalizing pot is going to turn out to be just a trend. Legalizing pot, like banning plastic bags, is just one of the goals the baby boom hippies had on their bucket list that they want to see done before they die. After that generation is gone the whole pot situation as well as all the other pet projects of the hippy generation will be swept in the dust bin or revised.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

City Bound said:


> It is going to have to go further then that if it is going to be regulated on the same level as drink and ciggs. On top of that it will need to be taxed like ciggs and drink.
> 
> One major concern about pot smoking in public or indoor areas shared with other people is the effects of a contact high. I have experienced this and it is real. Second hand smoke is a problem that many localities, especially liberal run areas, are starting to outlaw and regulate. Second hand pot smoke is strong and it clouds people's thinking and judgement.


It's my understanding that legalized marijuana is taxed like alcohol and cigarettes, or at least that's how it's being instituted in Canada. 

We're quite regulated on where a person can smoke in Canada and rules for smoking pot are looking to be just as stringent. You can't walk down our streets drinking a beer and laws are already in place forbidding people from walking down the street smoking a joint.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

ok, that is a start. How about restrictions in cars and homes? I don't think we need a bunch of kids arriving for preschool stoned out of their heads because mommy had a fatty for breakfast and filled the whole apartment with pot smoke.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Farmerga said:


> There is also a difference between people who drink alcohol and those who don't. Do we want to go down the road of banning that again? What about people who eat too much fat? Are we going to insist that they eat a government approved diet?


In every state there are laws against driving under the influence. You want to drink or smoke? Stay off the road! Until there is a test to determine if your mj exposure was last night or an hour ago I do not want to be on the same roads as someone affected by a few tokes. Besides, this study found it can affect your brain for up to 7 days after smoking for heavy users.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11576028

I can't get drunk off the fumes from your drink. Tobacco smoking in public buildings is illegal in Ohio which IMO was a wonderful thing. I do not need the contact high from your joint. 

I have known and been around "casual" pot smokers since my teens. I have seen what it does to people, especially teens. There are many studies around that show it influences and changes the brain, especially in teens. I believe there is a legitimate *MEDICAL* use for MJ and that use should not be restricted. I am wholly in support of more studies about the medical possibilities of thc and other compounds found in MJ. I believe that industrial hemp should be a legal crop in the US.


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## Clem (Apr 12, 2016)

I look at the writings of forum members who oppose pot, and the writings of those who approve of it. 

Then, I have to decide, "If I was going to spend some time around some people, which group of people would I rather be around?"


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

City Bound said:


> ok, that is a start. How about restrictions in cars and homes? I don't think we need a bunch of kids arriving for preschool stoned out of their heads because mommy had a fatty for breakfast and filled the whole apartment with pot smoke.


It's against the law to drive under the influence so that's a give and stoned kids arriving at school would be considered child abuse - just as it would now.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

City Bound said:


> ok, that is a start. How about restrictions in cars and homes? I don't think we need a bunch of kids arriving for preschool stoned out of their heads because mommy had a fatty for breakfast and filled the whole apartment with pot smoke.


]

Is this some kind of a joke? What parent would do that? Someone who would do that is already doing it. Neither legalization nor restrictions will effect that. You can't be serious to think they would.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

Cornhusker said:


> If people want to spend their McDonald's paycheck on pot, that's OK with me, and if they legalize it, I'll be ok with that too.
> In fact, I might just plant 40 acres of old fashioned ditchweed to pad my retirement fund.
> What they need is a way to test whether or not someone is currently under the influence of the Devils Lettuce or if it's residual from last weekends concert.


Ditchweed?


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> ]
> 
> Is this some kind of a joke? What parent would do that? Someone who would do that is already doing it. Neither legalization nor restrictions will effect that. You can't be serious to think they would.


Wait and see what kind of problems come out of the wood work once being a pot head becomes the status qua. 
From all the pot heads I hear advocating that pot is safe, safer then ciggs and drink, and to boot good for your health you can bet there are going to be a lot of people who think smoking pot in the same room as their kid is ok...because, "it's safe" you know.

There are also people, allegedly average normal people, who think it is a good idea to blow a few tokes in their babies face at night to help the baby sleep. Their thinking is "What's the big deal, it is harmless. It is natural. It is not dangerous, that is just gov hype".


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> Ditchweed?


That's what we used to call the cheap stuff back in the day


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## Back2Basix (Dec 24, 2015)

Danaus29 said:


> Yeh, there's a reason I don't get in the car with my brother behind the wheel. I've got relatives addicted to both. They all claim the use is "casual" hence the quote marks. I'll drive myself, thanks. I know how these people act during their dry spells and how they act when they "need" their fix.


That's funny, I'm hoping it's sarcasm....


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## Back2Basix (Dec 24, 2015)

It's absolutely astounding the ignorance being thrown around by some, like they are quoting Nancy Reagan from back in the day.

The truth of the matter, whether you like it or not, is Cannabis:

1) No reported deaths directly linked to the use of marijuana

2) No reported cases of cancer directly linked to the use of marijuana

3) Scientifically proven to help alleviated pain, nausea, vomiting associated with chemo and cancer

4) Scientifically proven to help alleviate symptoms from neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's, etc

5) Study on mice actually showed it increased brain function & memory


The big problem why more "scientific research" doesn't exist is because it's still classified as a schedule 1 drug by the DEA even though the drug has medical uses. I hate to be a conspiracy nut but let's be honest, big Pharma doesn't want this stuff legal and available.

It seems like everyone's negative experience here with it is "i talk to family member....." and "i knew a guy that...."

I drink alcohol, does that make me a wife beating, drunk driving, low life, back alley bum???

I also partake in the recreational use of cannabis, I guess that makes me a pothead, skateboarding, low life, low IQ, unsuccessful junkie???

Better for some "to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"


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## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

City Bound said:


> Not spin. On a national level all three have variants of legal and illegal depending where you go.



What Nationality are you referring too?


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

An interesting read:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana


Marijuana overactivates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes the "high" that people feel. Other effects include:


altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors)
altered sense of time
changes in mood
impaired body movement
difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
impaired memory
hallucinations (when taken in high doses)
delusions (when taken in high doses)
psychosis (when taken in high doses)

*Long-Term Effects*
Marijuana also affects brain development. When people begin using marijuana as teenagers, the drug may impair thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions. Researchers are still studying how long marijuana's effects last and whether some changes may be permanent.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/colu...ease-prevention/marijuana-bad-for-your-heart/

A study published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association further demonstrates that marijuana use increases the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, heart rhythm disorders, and stroke, particularly in young people without other heart disease risk factors. The extreme seriousness of these events is underscored by a death rate exceeding 25 percent in those affected.

https://www.rt.com/usa/316148-marijuana-related-deaths-injuries-study/

Marijuana-related emergency room visits grew 57 percent in two years, from 8,198 in 2011 to 12,888 in 2013, the study found, with a 29 percent increase in emergency room visits for teens.

The report also found that drug-related suspensions and expulsions increased 32 percent between the 2008-2009 and 2012-2013 school years. The majority of expulsions were for marijuana violations.

From 2006 to 2008, there were 1,000 to 4,800 medical marijuana cardholders and no known dispensaries in Colorado. As of the end of 2012, there were 108,000 cardholders and 532 licensed dispensaries.

In November 2012, voters passed an amendment allowing anyone over the age of 21 to use marijuana recreationally.


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## nchobbyfarm (Apr 10, 2011)

No bias in a .gov link from a .gov agency against drugs. I mean, what would happen to their jobs without the boogeyman plant.


ETA- why is it their or your job to worry about my heart anyway?


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## no really (Aug 7, 2013)

As soon as big Pharma can appropriate rights and make money on it our benevolent gov will approve it as the latest and greatest drug on the market.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I don't hire drunks, why would I hire a pot head? I was a Deputy Sheriff for twenty years. I have worked more than a few fatal vehicle accidents that involved pot.

Muleskinner2


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> ]
> 
> Is this some kind of a joke? What parent would do that? Someone who would do that is already doing it. Neither legalization nor restrictions will effect that. You can't be serious to think they would.


I had neighbors that smoked weed with their children around "but only after the kids are in bed".



Back2Basix said:


> That's funny, I'm hoping it's sarcasm....


Sadly no. I hung around with the stoners when I was in high school.



Back2Basix said:


> The truth of the matter, whether you like it or not, is Cannabis:
> 
> 1) No reported deaths directly linked to the use of marijuana


Do auto accidents count?
https://www.denverpost.com/2017/08/25/colorado-marijuana-traffic-fatalities/

I know people who drink occasionally but not so much they get drunk. I don't know anyone who uses pot without the intent to get a good buzz.


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## Redlands Okie (Nov 28, 2017)

From what I read the scientific stuff says that 2nd hand MJ smoke is just about impossible to carry any effects. Seems it takes really good test to detect it since the 2nd has effects are so small and short lived.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Skamp said:


> What Nationality are you referring too?


Not a nationality, a nation. I was referring to the nation called the USA.


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## City Bound (Jan 24, 2009)

Redlands Okie said:


> From what I read the scientific stuff says that 2nd hand MJ smoke is just about impossible to carry any effects. Seems it takes really good test to detect it since the 2nd has effects are so small and short lived.


I don't need a scientist to tell me I am getting a contact high when people smoke pot around me.


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## Back2Basix (Dec 24, 2015)

Danaus29 said:


> I had neighbors that smoked weed with their children around "but only after the kids are in bed".
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No it doesn't count, the death was the result of the car accident. Drinking is legal but not drinking and driving.


I'm looking for deaths DIRECTLY resulted from cannabis


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Redlands Okie said:


> From what I read the scientific stuff says that 2nd hand MJ smoke is just about impossible to carry any effects. Seems it takes really good test to detect it since the 2nd has effects are so small and short lived.


Did not know that. Looked it up. I appreciate the information. I worried about exposure from my neighbors for nothing.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Back2Basix said:


> No it doesn't count, the death was the result of the car accident. Drinking is legal but not drinking and driving.
> 
> 
> I'm looking for deaths DIRECTLY resulted from cannabis


It's like tobacco. Doesn't cause death directly although there have been cases of small children accidentally eating something containing thc and getting sick. 

Some states where mj has been legalized have had a drastic increase in people driving under the influence. Apparently, like alcohol, there is a legal limit and a test refined enough to know how intoxicated (for lack of a better word) the users were.


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

It laughable at how dope heads use every excuse to justify it.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Back2Basix said:


> 5) Study on mice actually showed it increased brain function & memory


Had the exact opposite effect on my friends and I, but then we weren't mice


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## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

no really said:


> As soon as big Pharma can appropriate rights and make money on it our benevolent gov will approve it as the latest and greatest drug on the market.


Already happening. 

"A US Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Thursday unanimously recommended approval of an epilepsy drug that would be the first plant-derived cannabidiol medicine for prescription use in the United States."

https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/19/health/fda-committee-marijuana-drug-epilepsy-bn/index.html


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## no really (Aug 7, 2013)

An interesting addition to the article is how Sam the boy that testified in the article got his meds.

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/medical-marijuana-epilepsy/

Evelyn was terrified. They’d come 5,350 miles to get these pills, medicine we hoped might finally quiet Sam’s unremitting seizures. He was to take a 50-milligram pill once a day for two days, increasing the dose to maybe three pills twice a day. Evelyn was to keep a log of his symptoms during their two-week stay. They would need to revisit the hospital two more times before they returned to San Francisco on January 3, 2013. That meant two more rounds of brain scans, blood tests, and doctors’ appointments.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Back2Basix said:


> .........
> 
> 2) No reported cases of cancer directly linked to the use of marijuana
> 
> ...


You're definitely not immune from cancers...and there is no way, it improves brain function and memory. 
I am not here to denigrate 'pot', but it is a drug. Just like all the others...And as you noted, it does help some folks alleviate disease symptoms. 
The main issue, at least up here, is how the government can get it's cut, like they do with alcohol. I see alcohol, in orders of magnitude, more dangerous than cannabis. But cannabis is not a wonder drug either. 
We have an anti drug testing mindset up here, so I am aware of doctors, train conductors, truck drivers, etc., who imbibe on pot. Not sure if they do it during work. 
Having worked in states, I am aware of the drug testing regime present, since I was drug tested a number of times. I found it a shame to see many folks (usually blue collar labor) 'disappear' after a drug test. Like yesterday's trash, they were gone. On one occasion, I saw one of our laborers hitchhiking out of town, after being booted. He was a nice guy, and a good worker. I stopped to say hi, as I didn't know why he was hitchhiking. He told me why. I find the hypocrisy around drugs to be surreal. We tolerate hard core alcoholics, but not a pot user. We are doing ourselves a disservice by tossing these folks. Like they will magically 'reform' and conform. In the end, we will pay dearly for 'trashing' people. 
I get the insurance aspect of not having these folks operate machinery, but in the above case, the guy was a simple laborer who didn't operate machinery. Heck, some of our senior staff were so hung over (probably still drunk), we'd take the truck keys away, but we never sent them packing. 
We operate in a world where our freedom to be human is being usurped by insurance companies (liability trumps human dignity) and government (they want their tax).


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

I think all this dope y'all are smoking is gmo I thought hippies hated gmo . I'm pretty sure the growers use round up around these plants but I guess the double standard applies here .


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## Mish (Oct 15, 2015)

M5farm said:


> I think all this dope y'all are smoking is gmo I thought hippies hated gmo . I'm pretty sure the growers use round up around these plants but I guess the double standard applies here .


My daughter and I just had this conversation the other day, wondering how long it's going to be before you have "organic" and "non-GMO" weed being advertised and charged a premium for. Organic weed farmer's markets?


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

I just stumbled on this thread. 

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away..........I was an evil nasty pot head!!!!!!!

I also worked two jobs, put myself through college and did a ton of volunteer work with young people.

While partaking in regular use of the evil weed!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't even want to know what happened when I saw the Greatful Dead or David Bromberg.

I really like David Bromberg.

But that was then and this is now and I find myself totally agreeing with Painterswife which just put a chill down my spine.

Should I tell you about a club I belonged to that would travel up to Cornell University to buy a quarter pound of Jamacain bud every week? Should I tell you that it only cost $80?

That there were only four of us in the club?

Probably not.

Legalize it, tax it, control it, and stop all this crap.

Hey, Painterswife...woo woo.


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## JJ Grandits (Nov 10, 2002)

On a more serious side, I advocate the medicinal use of marijuana. In NY it is allowed but it is so restrictive and expensive that those who qualify can rarely use it. Two people I know closely fall into that catagory. I think that both of my parents would have benefitted from its use. My father who died from cancer and my mother who spent her last couple of years in a nursing home.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

Danaus29 said:


> In every state there are laws against driving under the influence. You want to drink or smoke? Stay off the road! Until there is a test to determine if your mj exposure was last night or an hour ago I do not want to be on the same roads as someone affected by a few tokes. Besides, this study found it can affect your brain for up to 7 days after smoking for heavy users.
> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11576028
> 
> I can't get drunk off the fumes from your drink. Tobacco smoking in public buildings is illegal in Ohio which IMO was a wonderful thing. I do not need the contact high from your joint.
> ...


Driving under the influence of pot is currently illegal. Legalize the use of pot and that won't change. What the chemical does to users is irrelevant to the question of legalization.


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## Farmerga (May 6, 2010)

City Bound said:


> I love how some people use alcohol and ciggs as the reasoning for justifying free unchecked societal use of pot.
> Really, you are going to compare how normal and safe pot is by holding it up to ciggs and drink?
> They are all bad for you.


It is not up to government to determine what we should and shouldn't be allowed to put in our bodies as long as the action only endangers the user directly. (They can arrest for DUI, but, not for drinking)


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