Viewpoint: Employers Rejecting Marijuana Users Will Pay a Price

By | July 28, 2017

  • July 28, 2017 at 8:48 am
    bewisetoday says:
    Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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    This article is false. As a person who is in the business of drug testing, I can tell you a pre-place drug test is merely an intelligence test. People who only smoke marijuana occasionally can abstain long enough to pass a simple drug test. This is true of other drugs as well. What you are getting with a positive drug test are those users who use drugs either daily, or nearly every other day.

    • July 28, 2017 at 2:00 pm
      Jack says:
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      bewisetoday nailed it, if you cant stop long enough to pass the test, Houston we have a problem. Coming from someone who smoked like he was on fire and drank like he was trying to put it out in college.

      • July 28, 2017 at 2:47 pm
        Agent says:
        Hot debate. What do you think?
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        Jack, what these potheads don’t get is that their brains turn to mush and they make irrational behavior choices. Would you want a pothead behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler weighing 80,000 GVW?

        • July 28, 2017 at 2:54 pm
          Fair Playing Field says:
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          Or leading a successful national insurer like Peter B. Lewis did while he was alive?

          • July 28, 2017 at 4:08 pm
            Agent says:
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            What was his Best rating?

          • July 28, 2017 at 8:19 pm
            Fair Playing Field says:
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            Hurry up and take that Google for Dummies course already.

          • July 29, 2017 at 8:32 am
            Natasha and Bearis says:
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            Hurry up and learn some manners, Libitterals!

          • July 29, 2017 at 3:04 pm
            Fair Playing Field says:
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            I’m not a liberal, Beavis. I’m a pro-choice conservative who believes in lower taxes, military spending and maintaining first-strike capability, minimizing the layers of governmental regulation that businesses (particularly small businesses) face, not giving tax vouchers to parents who want to send their kids to private schools, and legalizing marijuana.

            I’m not a pot smoker myself, though I certainly did my share during my younger years. To me it’s in the same class of depressant as alcohol.

          • August 1, 2017 at 8:21 am
            PolarBeaRepeal says:
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            @Fair Playing Field; conservatives do not denigrate others on message boards. (Libitteral in disguise!)

          • August 1, 2017 at 11:30 am
            Doug Fisher says:
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            Now that’s a laugh, Yogi.

            Between you, Agent, and Bobbo always talking down on people and calling them stupid, it is hilarious you would say that. Unless…you were pointing the finger back at yourself.

            I mean, your stupid term “libitteral” is in and of itself denigrating others. You are so hopelessly hypocritically it is funny.

        • July 28, 2017 at 4:46 pm
          John Everyman says:
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          Yes. Because at least he would have an open mind, unlike, well, you.

          And also because in 1993, the United States National Highway Transportation Administration concluded a seminal and groundbreaking cannabis study that concluded that the physical impairments of cannabis intoxication are very little different than the physical impairments of, say, Sudafed.

          https://ntl.bts.gov/lib/25000/25800/25867/DOT-HS-808-078.pdf

          • August 1, 2017 at 8:23 am
            PolarBeaRepeal says:
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            This study is correct. But it uses averages, not extremes, similar in nature to studies of alcohol intoxication. If someone doesn’t drive close in time after imbibing alcohol or smoking pot, they aren’t as badly impaired as others who do. Very high drivers, whether by pot or booze, are very dangerous.

          • August 1, 2017 at 10:37 am
            Interested says:
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            I’m pretty sure the effects of using your cell phone while driving is as severe, if not more, impairing than driving under the influence of pot.
            Also, unlike alcohol, pot is usually used at home, and therefore, doesn’t have the opportunity like alcohol to be impacting your driving ability to such extremes.

          • August 2, 2017 at 5:13 pm
            PolarBeaRepeal says:
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            ‘pot is usually used at home…’ Cite your sources of this scientific study. Ready, steady, … GO!

          • August 3, 2017 at 1:27 pm
            Interested says:
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            Source of “pot is usually used at home”: (Common sense)it’s illegal in most states, and therefore people aren’t out in bars and waltzing around with it out in the open. Considering the political push-back we are seeing about legalizing pot, most people are toking it up in the only place the law can’t reach – their homes.

        • July 28, 2017 at 5:22 pm
          Captain Planet says:
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          I don’t see anyone out here suggesting people operate a vehicle while intoxicated. Besides, you have proven time and time again, you simply do not understand this subject whatsoever.

          • July 29, 2017 at 8:35 am
            Natasha and Bearis says:
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            Does someone need to suggest people operate a MV while intoxicated for it to happen, millions of times daily?

            Does someone need to suggest people breath in and breath out?

            Does …. oh, never mind; it’ll just be ignored by those who have no clue.

    • July 28, 2017 at 4:47 pm
      John Everyman says:
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      There other ways of passing a drug test besides abstinence. My thinking is that if you cannot pass a pre-employment drug test, you don’t deserve to.

  • July 28, 2017 at 1:32 pm
    LadyLisa says:
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    I thought THC stayed in the blood stream for 30 days?

    • July 28, 2017 at 4:51 pm
      John Everyman says:
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      It depends. Unlike cocaine, meth, and just about any other drug (with a couple of exceptions), on the ten-panel (a ten-panel is a pre-employment urine dip test with, literally, ten panels showing dip test results), THC is the only substance that stays in your system for longer. How long depends on how much you consume.

      This is because unlike the intoxicating compounds on the rest of a ten-panel, THC is fat-soluble. This means it binds to your fat cells, which hold onto it forever while it slowly metabolizes out of you.

      Weekend tokers should be clean after about a week, depending. Heavy, daily smokers won’t be clean for about a month or two–depending on a bunch of factors, including body weight and metabolism speed.

  • July 28, 2017 at 4:36 pm
    Jestr says:
    Hot debate. What do you think?
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    The point many of you making comments don’t get is it is prevalent throughout society and the social stigmatizing of this issue is no longer relevant. Yes there are those who turn to “mush” and then there are those who imbibe daily and are award winning scientists, doctors, lawyers, professors. Grow up all of you!

    • July 28, 2017 at 4:53 pm
      John Everyman says:
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      I myself am a daily cannabis user and have been an IT director for over 20 years. It may surprise you to know (or not) that IT is practically fueled by cannabis. Drug testing has impacted the IT field as hard as any manufacturing job, that is, until very recently. Many firms I work with tell me that they can’t test anymore or they’d never be able to hire anyone.

    • July 29, 2017 at 8:37 am
      Natasha and Bearis says:
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      And there are those who die, are maimed for life, or injured less severely, daily, due to other driver’s bad judgements based on personal freedoms they exercise selfishly and unwisely.

      • August 1, 2017 at 7:43 am
        Ron says:
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        Just one of the perils of living in a free society.

        Do you believe the government needs to be our protector form all evils?

        To alter your owns words slightly; And there are those who die, are maimed for life, or injured less severely, daily, due to other gun owner’s bad judgments based on personal freedoms they exercise selfishly and unwisely.

        For the record, I am pro 2nd Amendment and believe that, outside of the mentally ill and certain ex-cons, there should be no restrictions on gun ownership.

      • August 1, 2017 at 8:26 am
        PolarBeaRepeal says:
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        My choice for freedom is not unbound by common sense of application of that principle.

        Consider ‘freedom from harm by others not acting responsibly or sanely’ as a better wording of the intention of the Founding Fathers.

      • August 1, 2017 at 8:04 pm
        LadyLisa says:
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        Unfortunately, people will always use bad judgment, whether drunk, high on pot or stone cold sober.

    • July 29, 2017 at 8:39 am
      Natasha and Bearis says:
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      The issue is STILL RELEVANT to those who use good judgement and don’t act selfishly, unwisely, and illegally… despite what you CLAIM.

  • July 30, 2017 at 9:12 am
    rocket88 says:
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    Do you really think smoking pot is a normal occurrence among dedicated and successful employee’s in our industry and, which should be accepted as a fact of life in the future? I’ll give job preference to those who pass drug and booze testing. There are enough responsible, drug free candidates I can recruit and enlist. It took a lot of time and effort to eliminate the “2 Martini lunch” from the industry standards and we are better for it. Now, we are to accept “grass” as an acceptable standard? To me that is a reversal to the industries efforts to better the health and welfare of our industry employees as well as step up the image of our professionals in front of our clients.

    • August 1, 2017 at 8:32 am
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Your common sense and clarity will be difficult to understand for those whose judgement is clouded by pot. Newer studies point to the long term adverse effects of pot smoking over long periods of time. They rejected all prior studies, citing other studies which focus on short term users, thus drawing incorrect conclusions. It is similar to those who believe concussions in sports are just a part of the sport that must be endured, and their effects are temporary – e.g. a week or two. We now know, almost conclusively, differently for CTE and pot use.

  • July 31, 2017 at 1:04 pm
    libra says:
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    In my younger days I smoked pot almost daily for 17 years,including college and grad school, but when I realized that the supply chain for pot was full of gangsters I had to admit that my “average law abiding citizen” behavior was helping to fuel the dangerous criminals. So I quit. The day I quit that was it. In comparison, it took 3 years to really kick cigarettes.
    I am all for legalization. However, pot is intoxicating and should be treated with same regard as alcohol- for adults, not at work. Pot could be even safer when grown commercially without pesticides and herbicides, which are the real carcinogens.
    This issue of how many smokers there are in the labor pool is ironic, because it is not new circumstances, it’s just that now someone measured it.

    • August 1, 2017 at 8:35 am
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Legalization of pot will only cause more harm than you can imagine.

      What age must be attained for alcohol use? Why? Then, what age must be attained for pot use, under your scenario for pot legalization? Why?

      • August 2, 2017 at 5:15 pm
        PolarBeaRepeal says:
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        Stoners are too confused and confounded by my question above to respond. The easier option is a down vote to try to hide a difficult question.

        • August 3, 2017 at 8:46 am
          Doug Fisher says:
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          There is nothing difficult or interesting about the question you posted.

          21 is the legal drinking age around the country, but there are several states which allow it at younger ages depending on location and surroundings.

          Pot can be 21 for all I care, and for similar reasons: it intoxicates the user. That is not in any way a useful reason why we should ban it. Otherwise, alcohol should be banned under the exact same context.

          If you ban one, ban the other. If you allow one, allow the other. Specifically since pot isn’t physically addictive like alcohol and tests have shown that people are far more responsive while high on pot than drunk on alcohol.

  • August 1, 2017 at 10:52 am
    Interested says:
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    Alcohol is a mentally impacting substance, that impedes metal capacity for driving, operating machinery, etc. Alcoholics Anonymous was created because of it’s addicting tendencies toward certain people, and many struggle with alcohol addiction today. It has very negative after-effects such as hangover, as your body purges the unwanted “poisons.” This can create an inability to work, a lack of hygiene, loss of a job, violence, and is linked to numerous crimes. Yet, it is legal, and we allow it to be promoted via marketing. Pot, is equally or arguably less negatively impactful on society, and yet the stigma still follows it, and is still an issue of debate. (I’m still waiting for a news story about a pot-smoker who goes to jail on domestic abuse charges. Funny, how alcohol is the main culprit almost every time.)

  • August 1, 2017 at 11:41 am
    Doug Fisher says:
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    Conservatives will forever be hypocrites on the pot issue. It is less harmful than alcohol to society and the individual users, and even tobacco with all its harmful, addiction-enhancing additives and chemicals, but you would never see a conservative seeking to ban those substances, right?

    Weed has a stigma that is totally unearned. It would be absolutely fool-hardy to try and keep it illegal while maintaining legal status for other more harmful substances.

    Get government out of everyday lives, isn’t that what you are always asking for?

    • August 2, 2017 at 5:16 pm
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Nope. Conservatives are sensible on pot issues, while stoners are stoned and unable to think clearly about the dangers and ramifications of illegal use of a controlled substance.

    • August 2, 2017 at 5:17 pm
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Straw Man Argument.

      I’m not asking for Govt to get out of the law setting and law enforcement business.

      • August 3, 2017 at 3:17 pm
        Doug Fisher says:
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        I am asking the government stop wasting billions of dollars enforcing an unenforceable act, jailing people for terms on par or worse than for rape and murder, and breaking up families in the process…over weed.

        You know, that drug that has a calming effect on its users? The one that 10s of millions of Americans have used, if not more…The one that has been proven is not a gateway drug to other, more damaging and addictive drugs?

        I thought you were a fiscal conservative?



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