So How Does Your Company Handle Marijuana?

In a staggering revelation on SI.com, National Football League sources expect about 1/3 of college prospects to have had some history with marijuana use.

One-Third. 33%. 1 in 3.

Imagine if the background checks on your applicants had those kind of numbers? Would you be forced to adjust the bar for a qualified applicants are expected to reach?

It looks as though many NFL teams are doing just that: lowering the bar. According to one unnamed league source in the SI.com article:

[i]"Marijuana use is almost epidemic, with more guys having tested positive for marijuana at some point in their college background than I can ever remember,'' said a longtime team personnel man. "It's almost as if we are having to figure out a new way to evaluate it as part of the character and background report, because it's so prevalent. There're enough instances of it that it's hard to know how to set your board. You can't throw out that many guys. You have to go case-by-case and do your homework on them.''[/i]

With states in the US looking at the possibility of legalizing the drug (California could legalize marijuana), public opinion of the drug may begin to change.

Will the opinion of your company change?

Jesse Ventura was on a local news TV station this weekend and he said "Beer is to Baseball as Marijuana is to rock music". I don't necessarily agree with this, but the fact is many people look at marijuana use as a part of life and don't see it as a legal issue. They believe it is a perception problem that the so-called "war on drugs" created. That perception - in their minds - has influenced employers when hiring employees because they see "illegal drug use". Those in favor of legalizing the drug that, in theory, "alcohol is more dangerous than pot, but looked at as an acceptable practice" (most of the time, anyway).

It's a cultural thing. Is our culture changing? Is your company policy changing?

Comment by Robin Eads on March 26, 2010 at 5:49pm: I don't know how long it will take to influence corporate policy or our own government but I personally think that Marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed just like alcohol & tobacco. It might solve a lot of our money crisis issues and keep people out of jail that shouldn't be there.

Comment by Sean Ryan on March 26, 2010 at 6:02pm: Sounds so simple, doesn't it? :)

It's all about what people are comfortable with, right? And when our boats brought our 'founding fathers' over, we were comfortable with alcohol and tobacco...

Of course there is the "If you allow marijuana, why not cocaine..." argument. It's a simple argument that doesn't really stand up.

- okay - off my soap box.

Comment by Robin Eads on March 26, 2010 at 6:32pm: See and my thoughts are, I would much rather have a pothead than an alcoholic working for me. It's all about your experiences, I suppose. :)

Comment by Sandra McCartt on March 27, 2010 at 2:57pm: The question was "How does your company handle Mary Jane". At this point..all debates etc aside..it is illegal on some level depending on your location. If the company requires a drug test, you and Mary Jane have been friends in the past six months it would be good to find another company that does not require a drug test. I have not heard of any companies who promote a drug free environment , require a drug test who will hire someone who shows up with any illegal drug or any drug that they do have a perscription for that is current. End of story

Personally i find potheads and drunks both boring and destructive. The stories about failed drug tests abound each funnier and more tragic than the last. The latest in our repetoire was the well qualifed lab tech whose story , when valium showed up in her drug test, no script, was that she was so nervous about the drug test that a friend gave her half a valium the night before the test. Right and i am the Virgin Mary, i just lost the long white dress and misplaced the baby. Even if there were a shred of truth to it..would you want that person preparing the slide for your tumor test?

It makes sense to me that mind altering substances of any kind without a docs supervision may impair judgement be it pot, booze or any of the designer array of same