Colorado may become another medical Cannabis State to fire Workers for Medical use.

[JackTheGrower]

If you have been following the trend then you will see that important legal moves are being made in the Highest courts in the States with Medical Cannabis laws.

None could be more harmful to individuals and families than economic Discrimination.

Here is what the Opposition of Cannabis use by those with jobs has to say in a Colorado opinion piece.

Give employers final say on pot
Colorado's medical marijuana law, Amendment 20, supports the ability of employers to require a drug-free workforce.
By The Denver Post

When it comes to medical marijuana, employers ought to have wide latitude in deciding how to handle workers who use the substance legally.

Questions about whether and how employers can enforce anti-drug policies have come up with increasing frequency as medical marijuana use has become more ingrained in our society. Over the weekend, The New York Times ran a story about emerging legal gray areas. In January, The Denver Post wrote about such conflicts in Colorado.

We believe the construction of the Colorado constitutional amendment authorizing medical marijuana use supports the ability of employers to require a drug-free workforce.

At its core, Amendment 20 provided eligible sick people an affirmative defense to criminal prosecution for medical marijuana use.

It did not establish medical marijuana use as a constitutional right. The distinction is an important one, and could be the point that many medical marijuana controversies turn on.

It's an issue that's destined to be decided by the Colorado Supreme Court. For the time being, there are at least two Denver District Court decisions that interpret the amendment that way.

Furthermore, Amendment 20 says this about workplace medical marijuana: "Nothing in this section shall require any employer to accommodate the medical use of marijuana in any work place."

In other states, courts have sided with employers on the question of whether they have the ability to fire workers for violating workplace drug policies.

In Oregon, the state's Supreme Court ruled in April that legal medical marijuana patients still can be fired because the state program must yield to federal laws on illegal drugs.

Furthermore, laws offering protection to disabled workers don't cover the use of medical marijuana, the court said. State supreme courts in California and Montana similarly sided with employers.

The decisions should send a message to the legalization crowd that narrow exceptions carved out for sick people do not equate to tacit legalization. Beyond the law, the rationale that employers have in enforcing anti-drug policies should be obvious.

Workers who operate heavy equipment or drive buses, for instance, shouldn't be under the influence of a drug that could impair their reaction time.

People who are in severe, chronic pain, which has been the favorite reason cited by applicants for Colorado medical marijuana cards, are likely to have difficulty doing those kinds of jobs anyway.

As Colorado's new regulatory framework for medical marijuana takes effect, we hope more of the cardholders who have schemed their way into the system are weeded out.

That, in and of itself, will vastly cut down on the number of conflicts between users and employers.

The more sensitive calls employers will have to make include whether medical marijuana use would make a difference in the performance of someone who runs a cash register, or answers telephones.

Employers ought to have the latitude to make those decisions without potentially finding themselves in conflict with the law.


Read more: Give employers final say on pot - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_15943335#ixzz0yJNsTRf7

I understand the mind set of many that if we just get along that things will be okay but economic control of personal liberty is what the point of this economic punishment system is all about.

Break it down to those in favor of cannabis and those against.

Sure we can make it so people can buy , posses and even grow a little but with allowing Use and Cultoivation to be controlled by someone not the Government where they have finacial interestes in controlling you rliberty and we move into a realm of fascism.

I should remind folks that no to long ago in the USA companies that wanted to employ you would come to your house to interview your family and see how you live.
We have gotten away from that but we still allow employers to take our hair, blood and urine in the name of having an economic life or in simpler terms not being homeless.

When we keep allowing other citizens the right to effect our livelihood for medical use then we are asking for those same people to be the ones locking us in the proverbial gas chamber.

There are no studies that show a medical cannabis person is any more prone to accidents than any other person.
We all know we shouldn't come to work on any substance.

yet knowing that I am no more dangerous than the next guy and that I am expected to be sober for my job..
Why will I be fired for being a responsible Medical person.

I understand how the medical programs in states do serve folks that probably wouldn't die if they didn't have Cannabis and I agree that Legalization for them is the real solution however, let us not forget the real medical people out there.

By discriminating economically against a class of citizen in the name of Corporate profits we take another step to the far right.

Please get active and support the rights of Medical Cannabis people to have jobs.

 

[HUGE]

Will never happen unless pot gets rescheduled to 2. As that will allow it to be called a pperaxription and be protected under the disability act. That's why we are fucked now. Fed law trumps state in court.

 

[tARMAC]

this is not new!!!!!!!!

 

[JackTheGrower]

Where is the Spirit of "We can Change Things?"

I'm growing concerned that we will forget to fight harder for more rights.

 

[BagseedSamurai]

Walmart has already done this.

So stupid.

Get an Rx for vicoden, you can get tested and work.
Get an Rx for cannabis, you get tested and get fired.

 

[HUGE]

I'm not saying don't rally just that you need to rally at the whitehouse not in Colorado.

 

[JackTheGrower]

Well I know the general mindset here.

We say change won't happen because we don't want to get involved.

I have seen it. I have been called a fool for suggesting that we could Legalize in California and the USA right here on this site.

Going against the current mindset is nothing new for me on this and other sites.

It's just folks are lazy especially Cannabis folks when if comes to actually getting up and out for political action.

Not even 1 in 50 here donates money to the Cannabis causes I am sure.

I do, Norml, ACLU and MPP..
I also have collected signatures for CCI. I also comment on many blogs and articles I find on the change.

The Bottom line is folks love to ride the freedom train it's the pushing to get it rolling they don't like and tend to arrive at the station when it's easy to ride and not push.

It's so true..

So what is happening in Colorado to protect workers?

 

[hgherbals420]

I think you are making a lot of generalizations. Yes cannabis users can be hard to motivate to take action but have you looked at our society as a whole? People who feel that they're actions have no effect on the system can give up or say fuck it because they dont think that they're making a difference. Its not just cannabis users its our entire American society which on the whole can be lazy, inefficient, ignorant, and hard to motivate but thats just if you want to be a negative nancy and ignore all the other hard working, passionate, motivated, action oriented people that are still out there to do work for the greater good.

As for your second question, there is very little being done to protect workers that are MMJ users, esp since both bills say that it is an employers right to do pretty much whatever they wish. Bullshit, I know but like you say complaining doesnt accomplish anything so I'm gonna go out as I do everyday and try to work for the greater good.

Peace and Jah bless

 

[High74]

I agree this is not new bumb