Marijuana is Now Legal in Colorado - Sweet T-Shirt Here!

Colorado, it's hip to be square.

Cool. I'll buy one!

Do they have one made out of hemp?

Someone was talking on CNN about legalized marijuana in Colorado. The problem is that even if it's legal to smoke it, the amount of time it stays in your system on a lot of variables. So what they were saying on CNN is that even though someone smokes it legally, companies don't like for employees to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol because the employee could make a mistake causing on-the-job injuries. That's a big liability for employers. So if you work in a "drug-free zone," your employer has the right to test you on the spot if you have an accident on the job. And bye-bye job.

Someone was talking on CNN about legalized marijuana in Colorado. The problem is that even if it's legal to smoke it, the amount of time it stays in your system on a lot of variables. So what they were saying on CNN is that even though someone smokes it legally, companies don't like for employees to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol because the employee could make a mistake causing on-the-job injuries. That's a big liability for employers. So if you work in a "drug-free zone," your employer has the right to test you on the spot if you have an accident on the job. And bye-bye job.

It just means all the jobs will migrate to places like Colorado, Washington, and California. For years a lot of employers of a lot of high tech companies for instance have had a no test policy. If Silicon Valley tested for pot use, you could kiss your iphone goodbye.

Companies could forbid you from drinking alcohol if they wanted to, but they wouldn't have any employees if the implemented such a policy. It has to do with the widespread acceptance of the drug all over the country. As pot becomes legal and accepted in more and more places, employers implementing draconian test policies will no longer be in a position of power.

It just means all the jobs will migrate to places like Colorado, Washington, and California. For years a lot of employers of a lot of high tech companies for instance have had a no test policy. If Silicon Valley tested for pot use, you could kiss your iphone goodbye.

Companies could forbid you from drinking alcohol if they wanted to, but they wouldn't have any employees if the implemented such a policy. It has to do with the widespread acceptance of the drug all over the country. As pot becomes legal and accepted in more and more places, employers implementing draconian test policies will no longer be in a position of power.

Not entirely true. Generally companies have a drug testing policy based on risk. The higher the risk of injury due to intoxication, the bigger discount the company can get on workman's comp and liability insurance. Generally clerical positions don't test for drugs as the possibility of injury is minute compared to say steel refining. I worked for a large financial institution that didn't drug test as it was more of a hassle than a cost savings measure.

For the record there are still companies in Colorado that drug test, just because it's legal doesn't mean you can do it at work. Alcohol would be a good example.

From what I've googled, marijuana can stay in your system longer than alcohol, giving you a higher probability of testing positive than with alcohol. A lot of it depends on regularity of use and body fat.

According to http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/marijuana_test.htm:

If you are required to take a urine test on short notice for employment or other purposes and you have recently smoked marijuana, you are probably going to fail the test. This is particularly true if you are a regular or heavy pot smoker. Employees that abuse alcohol and drug pose serious problems for today's employers. Many are taking steps to develop a workplace drug policy that includes random drug testing for current employees and routine testing for all new job applicants.

My employer suspected that a high-level employee had an alcohol problem that affected his performance at work. They had him tested, and he failed. They gave him a leave of absence so he could get rehab. A few months after he came back, he failed again. They offered him an early retirement. As a college professor, he didn't physically harm anyone at work, but couldn't be as effective with a hangover.

This is true and you'll probably start seeing legislation and court decisions regarding types of testing. Urine and blood will show positive for any THC (the chemical that gets you high) in the system. However, oral swabs will generally only reveal recent use such as the last 12-24 hours depending on oral hygiene.