Now that a handful of states have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults, we’re starting to see some of the ways that affects communities. One way is on the job. Since it is well known that marijuana use reduces ambition and blunts perceptions in most people, employers aren’t exactly eager to welcome the drug into the workplace.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), more than half of employers in states where recreational marijuana use is legal either have or are planning to implement drug use policies with specific rules for that drug. It noted that the vast majority of employers will continue to follow federal guidelines regarding marijuana use, as that protects their freedom to refuse employment to people who use the drug.
Despite some people claiming it is discriminatory, employers have the right to set these standards and protect their workforce from potential accidents and their bottom line from underperformance.
“There is what I consider to be a significant number of employers that are saying they wouldn’t hire an employee that uses marijuana,” said Evren Esen, director of survey programs at the SHRM.
Thankfully, these HR managers haven’t seen a large influx of people coming to work under the influence, or at least it has not been detected. Also, even though there may be more strict policies regarding substance abuse, there are fewer companies that carry out mandatory pre-employment drug screens for all new hires. One big area of concern, though is that the number of millenials entering the workforce could start to change much of the demographics surrounding marijuana use.
