What's Your Opinion?

What's Your Opinion: How concerned are you about the effects of legal marijuana on worker safety?

What's Your Opinion: Marijuana

Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

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NIWABIINE CONSCIOUS
November 21, 2019
its really madness seeing mad people all over

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Rex Butler
November 22, 2019
I'm more concerned for our employees driving work vehicles and what they might run into from others on the road who may be under the influence of marijuana. Since pot was legalized in Colorado, operating while intoxicated (OWI) violations have increased substantially in Iowa. Now, Illinois is legalizing marijuana which will compound the problem for us as users cross the close border to buy the drug. Regarding the employee use, I am not all that concerned. Our drug & alcohol testing program for commercial drivers and our company's drug free workplace program will be just as effective as it was prior to legalization. If employees want to remain gainfully employed, they'll need to take heed of that. Also, I have the utmost confidence in the maturity and responsibility of our workforce.

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Bob Williams
November 26, 2019
I don't want to go into surgery or board a plane wondering if the surgeon or the pilot is using marijuana or any drugs. Same thing with anyone in the work place. If the employee handbook does not address drug usage in the work place, it should....

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Mike Cromly
November 26, 2019
Safety is a concern, but the ability to measure correctly is also important. We do picture framing and it is necessary to cut all products accurately.

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Naomi Wheeler
November 26, 2019
Workplace Drug Policies need to address this regardless if your particular state has or has not legalized marijuana. For Idaho, we have not legalized it yet, however I do see this happening in the future as we are surrounded by states that already have. I am not concerned about employee usage with marijuana as much as I am with other illicit drugs in our immediate area and State that absolutely pose a bigger threat than marijuana. One thing to consider is that testing of how much at the time of an incident is still in its early stages. Just because an employee pops positive for marijuana during a post-accident drug screening doesn't mean they were high at the time. Marijuana stays in a person's system way longer as it attaches to fat cells. A chronic smoker will always test positive but that does not mean they are under the influence at work. This is a hot topic for so many of us Safety Professionals and it is fluid and will constantly change. We must show due diligence in how this will be handled from a Federal to State to Business standards and policies. For now, making sure that Policies and Procedures correctly state your companies stance and that it is written in a 'all or none" fashion is the best defense until more knowledge is discovered.

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Jeffery A. Daigle
December 6, 2019
We are still enforcing a no tolerance policy when it comes to medical / legal marijuana use. Employees can not be under the influence of legal or illegal substances in safety sensitive positions.

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Jeff Stapel
December 6, 2019
Until there are established standards for levels of impairment with adequate testing regarding marijuana as there is with alcohol I will be very concerned for safety and marijuana usage.

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Dennis
December 6, 2019
I’m concerned about any altered mood or condition at work or on our roadways. However, what people do at home is not my business. We need testing that gives me accurate, real time numbers like BAC. You can’t come to work drunk and certainly you can’t come to work high. Let’s focus on fast and accurate testing and get out of workers( peoples) homes.

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Peter C Young
December 9, 2019
It's the same thing with the #MeToo movement. If no means no, then no! If we want to return to a values based culture, then why must we bend rules for workers who want to partake at home, when there is a possibility that they can still be under the influence when they come to work? After surgery, your doctor tells you that you must not drive or operate heavy machinery for 24 hours or more due to general anesthesia being in your system. If marijuana stays in your system for hours or days after use, then no work! Your choice. I am not one to stop you from enjoying marijuana, but you will not be allowed to work in our operation. Being a user is your own choice here in California. But you will give up your job to someone who will honor the rules and regulations required of a safe work site.

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Gene
December 13, 2019
I work construction and it's a real big concern. In my job there's been times I'm working around this type of environment and it becomes scary... Can be life threatening also because of working on high areas together and then the workers below are at risk of something being dropped on them.

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Chris Campbell
December 13, 2019
I do not believe we can yet accurately measure impairment due to marijuana use, which we can do with in the case of alcohol consumption. Until I know I can test an person via a urine or saliva sample and get a result that reflects whether the person is impaired to the extent he/she can work or operate a motor vehicle safely, I will be uncomfortable with legalized use.

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Raymond
December 13, 2019
Being a baby boomer I have experimented in smoking marijuana when I was young like thousands of those that grew up in my era. At that time in my life the 1970's I was young, having fun and with NO responsibilities but none the less it was illegal. That was than this is now 49 years later. Yes I am very concern as an industry leader in my profession that the government is allowing each state to adopt their own laws on the use, growth and sale of marijuana but not taking a position for the entire country. Why, because they the states feel that the tax revenue they will receive will help off-set their short comings in their yearly state budgets because they cannot control their spending. I work in the elevator industry and we have a dangerous task every day in maintaining, servicing, repairing , testing installing and modernizing vertical transportation units in NYC and within our industry around the county. My concern is, what happens when we experience one of our employees NO matter what level they work in, comes into work after a high weekend watching football, baseball, at home or at a party and has to be 100% alert to do their job. How can you depend on this person that works alongside others with families that they depend on their loved one(s) working hard and coming home every day, day in and day out to provide for their families, when in fact that person working along side them could be impaired and or under the influence of a substance as marijuana. Now I know we have alcoholic problems and the same applies, but we have impairment guidelines and at least you can see the physical movement when under the influence and the odor (smell) at times. (DARE) When under the influence of marijuana you thought process slows down and your reflexes are not as sharp to allow you to perform at a peak level in a dangerous profession while under the influence. The THC in this drug can cause a feeling of euphoria and relaxation and could altered perception of time. Marijuana is an intoxicant that raises my concern on safety in the workplace where legalization of recreational marijuana is going to be allowed. QUESTION: Would you want to work next to someone that may be stoned while at work or at least one that can hide it well enough to perform their jobs until something goes wrong. We in NYC cannot discriminate for the use of marijuana in the hiring process, and if tested positive in a pre employment testing process, the company cannot discriminate from hiring. When the country does legalize this drug across the land and it will happen, we will need guidelines to train, alert and take corrective actions when we have employees under the influence the show up for work. OSHA has a final rule and they have taken a hard look at Post injury or illness drug testing in their final rule to improve tracing of workplace injuries and illnesses and addresses the good employee versus the poor employee on discrimination when they fail the post injury drug test. QUESTION: If courts in some states they have found that state medical marijuana laws do no provide employment protection and NO marijuana use (medical or otherwise) is protected under federal law, who is going to determine when someone gets injured in the state that has legalized the above? The state W/C courts and that will be costly. I do not think that the governing states have thought about the effects of the employee working next to a person under the influence and their families that could be affected and impacted if that person while at work cannot perform their job duties and injures a co-worker or any tradesmen / women working along side them. Gas the government /states established strict guidelines on how to determine marijuana impairment levels and those levels that will be allowed to work under get injured and files a worker's compensation claim? Did I miss their notification as I have not read of any yet. However, you may want your readers to go to the Oklahoma ruling that could set the precedent for marijuana use in worker's compensation cases that took place in 2017. Lastly, I would like to see the government and states take a serious look at the short and long term implications on legalizing this drug instead of the monitory gain they feel it will being to their state treasury. It may cost more then they could have ever realized when W/C cost, addiction and legal ramification costs sore and the recovery costs to treat mount to a level that they can not control on the next decade. In my closing statement I fully support the legalization marijuana for medical purposes so to help and assist in pain management for all children and elderly patients stricken with cancer / a terminal disease but not for daily recreational use. Be safe and be well, Ray Downs TEI Group - Senior Vice President Environmental, Health and Safety

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BENEDICT OPAR
December 16, 2019
Safety of workers is paramount especially when it comes to construction workers and heights. Imagine boarding a plane and the pilot is a known legal marijuana user but without limit supervision? I personally disagree with this idea because at some point we will have to deal with the aftermath as a society and it will most likely not be go owing to the psychoactive effect of marijuana.

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Jim
December 16, 2019
People try comparing marijuana with alcohol. If someone gets drunk Friday night, they will be totally sober on Monday. THC has a half-life and people still test as impaired a week later. The scary thing is that they don't realize that the impairment is there.

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Jeff Harrison
December 16, 2019
A point I don't see being considered here is the strength of the marijuana that is available today. This stuff has been cross-bred and hybridized for maximum THC content, and is definitely NOT the same stuff we had in the 80s! It is like the difference between beer and tequila. A person will get much higher on a couple of hits of today's weed, and their impairment level will go up accordingly. It will also stay elevated for much longer, potentially still making them a hazard in the workplace even if it has been a day since they last smoked. We need a test that will show immediate impairment level, and current THC level.

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robert Stillwell
December 17, 2019
Marijuana - Currently there is no way to prove that a worker is impaired. This will potentially allow impaired workers on the job. Many of these impaired workers will be in safety-sensitive/hazardous jobs. I feel that this will definitely cause more worker injuries and cost companies many millions of dollars in lost time and worker's comp costs.

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Tracy Baysinger
December 20, 2019
We hire drivers with CDL and Hazmat endorsements. The risk of them causing injury to themselves or others is significant if they are not completely focused on their driving and material handling. Medicinal use and recreational use during the work week can have a significant impact on the driving public. I wish I understood the impact of weekend use on work week behavior. Personally, I understand the benefits of medical marijuana to many people. But that does not lessen my concern about impact in the workplace or on the roads.

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MS
December 20, 2019
We are in an industry that utilizes temporary seasonal contract workers. Currently our production work force is comprised of 21% contract workers that have less than 15 days on the job. Our company policy allows us only to test for cannabis if there is reasonable suspicion that the individual is under the influence as documented by 2 trained supervisors. We no longer will have pre-employment testing nor post incident testing unless that reasonable suspicion exists. Recognizing a reasonable suspicion on a worker that has only been with the company for a couple of weeks would be difficult unless it is truly blatant behavior. This makes our cannabis testing ineffective. If other employers in the area don't have the same policy as us, we could become the employer of choice for people that use and possibly abuse cannabis. We are fortunate that our production is not a high (no pun intended) hazard industry. We do, however, have a significant amount of powered industrial trucks. An intersection of a powered industrial truck with a person seldom ends well for the person. A cannabis user presents one more variable in the incident equation.

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BMW
December 20, 2019
Just not during work ours do it all you want.

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Ray Ochromowicz
December 20, 2019
Just because one has marijuana in their system doesn’t mean they are “under the influence“. They have to exhibit behaviors that are measurable and visible that demonstrate they are in capable. Therefore emphasis must be on a reasonable suspicion. What suspicious behaviors, actions, speaking is being displayed that indicates they are under the influence of some type of substance. That substance could be legal medications, alcohol, illegal drugs. If an employee demonstrates reasonableSuspicion they should be sent for immediate testing.

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Herman Floyd
December 20, 2019
Until there is an adequate and economical testing method available that will show levels of THC, or can estimate an approximate time since the intake of marijuana, we can only maintain a zero tolerance private company policy! Otherwise we are opening ourselves up for litigation. The recreational and medical use of marijuana in the workplace is and always will be an unacceptable risk we cannot afford to take as employers. Being under the influence is the same whether it is alcohol, pot, or a prescription medication. It is still under the influence of a mind altering substance that will affect the way you respond, comprehend, move, see, hear, etc. I've also noticed a "Push" back from pro-marijuana Safety Professionals who, because they smoke themselves, don't have an issue with the use of it on the job! This is scary! I would say their thought processes are definitely being muddled up by the smoke!

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Michael Romnek
December 23, 2019
Marijuana is still illegal in our state. However, my biggest concern is the availability of testing for influence of marijuana as opposed to presence of marijuana. With alcohol, it is much easier to test for an employee being under the influence of alcohol. That is not available for marijuana. Thus, if an employee legally used marijuana 6 weeks prior to a serious incident, toxicological screening will hit on the marijuana, regardless of the lack of influence on the incident. This poses serious legal threat to the company. Additionally, there have been court cases that make a zero-tolerance policy a potential legal liability.

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Greg Lester
December 23, 2019
Please see excellent comments already provided by Mr. Butler and Mr. William's below. Similar to alcohol, this will be one more substance to worry about when trying to promote a drug-free work environment.

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David Martin
December 23, 2019
I am very concerned how legal marijuana can impact worker safety. It was bad before the current push to legalize. Employers need to keep the right to prohibit whatever substances they choose from the workplace but until we can define impaired by cannabis as we do for alcohol it's going to be a struggle. I am concerned for what others may be doing that may impact My safety at work. And...… virtually everywhere you go is someone's workplace. I strongly believe that that as the federal government leans towards legalization, that the MUST be a safety carve out that maintains the prohibitions for safety sensitive functions!

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Joe Kidwell
January 13, 2020
Mixing marijuana with work in the wind industry is clearly a mistake as I imagine the risk of injury or death will increase dramatically due to impairment. In all industries, a worker must have a clear mind and be capable of making sound decisions, many times, quickly. It's a known fact that marijuana impairs the thought process and slows reaction time; something we can't afford to have working against us in the field. Workers need to be clear not clouded. Why open the door to greater risk?

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AnneBery Jausiku
January 13, 2020
The long term effect of Marijuana is a safety concern especially among the teens, frequent abuse of it impairs thinking,the memory and learning functions. With increased use, irrational decisions are prone to be made and our safety as a state will be at risk.

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Edmund S
January 13, 2020
I am very concerned about the effects of legal marijuana on worker safety. Safety is first and foremost in any operation. Each person is different and the impact of THC on their body runs the gamut of fit for duty performance. In safety sensitive operations I am beside myself that someone is going to get hurt. Even worse is some people are working in situations where they are responsible for others and they think nothing of it. Many people I believe are taking the same tact as with alcohol for marijuana, If I'm OK in the morning I can make it through the day. In NYS or in many states for that matter, CDL drivers are subject to random drug testing. So not only are employees become judge and jury for themselves if they are ready to work but they are taking a risk that if they use marijuana in any form they will still harbor the residual for many days. Those people will be subject to potential termination in states where the state is legal but the Federal government is not. That conflict will be career altering besides presenting itself as an unsafe possibility where running equipment or working with others is critical. If you are an individual contributor and only sit in an office, enjoy. Otherwise I am saying do not do it. Just because everyone wants it, it"s not the reason to change the law. If that's the way its going then lets get rid of the drug and alcohol testing and allow people to drink on the job. I don't think you would approve either of those directions so think really hard about who is able to use marijuana. In NYS in 2020 the State legislature is thinking hard about Bail Reforms revisions because they thought they did the right thing in 2019. Lets not do the same thing with Marijuana. You could have a mess on your hands and while you are working through it someone is going to get hurt...... I want ZERO incidents...

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Angel Martel
January 14, 2020
I’m in Ca. And this is a touchy subject since Marijuana is legal here. With no limit standard that l know of yet to set a standard for the amount a person can have in their system without being under the influence. This can be a hazardous condition and probably hard to prosecute.

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Name
January 17, 2020
I am not concerned about legalized marijuana in my workplace because it is not allowed. Neither is vaping or e cigarettes. We have frequent random testing for alcohol and drugs so I feel comfortable that the policies are taken seriously.

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Jason Hovatter
January 19, 2020
Concerned about the future knowledge of craft skills along with the quality of work and the precision of skilled workers.

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Darrin Duell
January 20, 2020
I would say that legalization has raised awareness of drug impairment in Canada. Just as many people are smoking marijuana, but now that it is mainstream people are more cautious about driving and working under the influence. If you believe that people are not driving and/or showing up for work drug impaired today in prohibition states you are kidding yourself. Prohibition policies only serve to sweep issues under the carpet and pretend that the "problem is solved". Bringing drug use into the open, allows legislation to be written around the use of drugs, employers are more aware of what impairment looks like as are law enforcement - we can set up programs to monitor and control and stop kidding ourselves.

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Don Folsom
January 24, 2020
Living in Colorado, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs is up. Coming to work under the influence is up. Only restricted jobs with regular drug testing are safe from people who frequently use marijuana. Some construction workers even demand raises because they are the only ones that can regularly pass a urine test. ("If you want me to come to work sober, pay me more.")

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Don
January 24, 2020
Most individuals don't look down the road far enough to realize that just because it legal to use or purchase, that if you're injured at work, the consequences could be that you are on drugs and it could cost you your job. The second point is if an individual would take legal marijuana and they come to work under the influence, depending on the job that they have, they are not concerned about those they faced on the road to get to work nor those who they work next to or around them. Those coworkers are in danger because of this one person who feels that because marijuana is legal, it's okay to use anytime. This is a big problem and getting worse! Finally, the individual doesn't care about their family, because they are the ones that will suffer the most if something severe would happen - whether that be the loss of their job or that the individual would be injured so severe that they couldn't work anymore, Who will support the family, feed them, cloth them, pay for a place to live? All because Marijuana was legal to use? Get real. Why would States even think of making it legal.

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Rita
January 24, 2020
We are now getting resumes from people applying for production line work in our Washington state manufacturing facility who have cannabis industry jobs in recent work history. Our job postings always include "pre-employment drug test" which includes THC. Wonder how many of those applicants move on in the hiring process for non-cannabis related jobs? And, if those candidates can pass the pre-employment drug test, do employers put a different "eye" on them which could be considered discrimination.

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Charlie Holloway
January 28, 2020
I believe that a person should be able to smoke a joint when he gets off work and is at home. This is no different than having a couple of drinks after work to unwind. The problem with smoking a joint is the THC will remain in their system longer than the alcohol he consumes. So if a person smokes a joint after work at home to unwind and comes into work the next day, they are not under the influence of the joint he smoked the night before, but it will show up on the drug test they take that day. Which will cause one of two things. 1. They are asked to enroll in a Drug Treatment Class- for the first offence or 2. They lose their job. I just think this is unfair for those who partake. What a person does on their own time is their business as long as they are not under the influence at work and that a person does not become over indulgent just like Alcohol use. Over indulgence is a problem with anything. Prescription Meds, Alcohol, other illegal drugs, etc.

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Name
January 28, 2020
No more concerned then I am with the effects of alcohol or prescription medicine on my workers.

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Name
January 28, 2020
Marijuana is still a drug and it has no place in the workplace. Many employees need to work with dangerous equipment and this poses a serious workplace safety issue not only for them but for the people working around them.

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Tim
January 28, 2020
Last month I put a subject in a forum asking colleagues for what they are doing in this day of legal marijuana usage and many of the answers I am getting back are the same as here. "We have a zero-tolerance" policy, It is illegal by the Federal Government so we can enforce as we always have. Many others but all the same theme. The question I posed was toward the medical use to begin with. Yesterday I read an article abut a WC claim in New Jersey. The Claimant sued to have the company pay for the medical marijuana they were prescribed for pain from his injury of which he was put on permanent disability. he won the company was ordered by the courts that they must cover the cost of the medical marijuana through WC. So rather than having the courts decide how we do business we need to get off our butts and figure out what we are going to do and get on top of this. I don't have the answers but as a group, us safety professionals should be able to come up with answers. Look this is not just a state issue. Those of us along the Northern Border have another issue to contend with. Canada has legalized marijuana nationally. I am sure that many here (that lived close to the border), remember when Canadas Drinking age was 18 or 19 and you would go up there and drink? Same thing with the Marijuana you can not be punished for doing a legal activity in Canada. The only thing that can happen is if you are driving under the influence you can be arrested. But they can not charge you with the use of marijuana. So where does that leave us. an employee that tests positive but we can't prove they were under the influence at the time. They tell you and can confirm that they partook in Canada Saturday night and you tested on Tuesday. the drug test was positive do you fire the employee for a legal activity? Or better yet can you prove that there was undisputable signs of operating under the influence. Or did they use an over the counter med that you provide in your first aid cabinet that caused the issue. There are a lot issues that we need to address in the H&S realm as well as those in the HR realm. I wish I had the answers because I would be rich and retired and not worrying about this. We can not put our heads in the sand and think this is going to go away. We are already behind and falling farther back. We need to get going and catch up and pass it as we should be looking to the future so we better protect our employees and the future employees so everybody's loved one goes home at the end of the day.

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James Buesing
January 28, 2020
Fatigue, distractions, older workers and now impaired from marijuana. Worker safety is getting harder and harder.

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Instructor Dave
January 28, 2020
Don't shoot the messenger. My message today is derived from a varied background; 3 Years as a Police Officer, 12 years with Wal-Mart, as Loss Prevention and then as Assistant Director of Training, 10 years as a Felony Probation and Parole Officer, 15 years as an Instructor in Safety. Like I said, varied background. For this article, I noticed the results were 57% are very concerned about the problem. 43%, look the other way. However, the problem affects 100% of the workforce. An older worker, driving a truck for company purposes, personally uses drugs and hits a young man on his way to work. Long story made shorter, the young man is awarded One Million Dollars. This one incident debilitated the young man, destroyed the company, and all workers of the company were without their jobs. With alcohol, "one drink and you are one drink drunk". Marijuana, "one joint and you are one hit too high". The rules, "If you have one drink, don't drive. If you have one hit, don't drive". If you do not follow the rules, you ARE the problem and NOT part of the solution. You are involved in an incident: If you live, Regret is the heaviest burden you will ever carry, it is a lifelong emotion. If you die, the regret does not disappear, it is passed upon those left behind who mourn your choices. (Would it surprise you if I told you, 1. No alcohol for 48 years, and making it just fine. 2. Never a joint, or illegal drugs. That is a 72 year run. Never needed it, wanted it, or supplied it.)

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Kenny Mitchell
January 29, 2020
I see marijuana less dangerous than alcohol. Some of the same bad things can happen when using either. The main difference is detecting toxicity. If we could test for toxicity at work, I feel it would be a much smoother transition.

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Kristina Hogan
January 31, 2020
As a CNS depressant, it is a major safety issue and as of now we do not have enough information to determine impairment and making to many decisions without all the data if not very responsible.

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Brian r garrett
January 31, 2020
Altered is altered. Just because you have a prescription doesn't mean your not impaired. And really, how long do the effects really last as far as impairment? Like alcohol is there illegal blood/thc percentage? How do you determine a safe level? I also was under the impression the marijuana use by federal employees is prohibited at any time including off duty.

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Michele Sweeney
February 7, 2020
My concern lies with all substances that can impair our thoughts, actions and abilities - legal and otherwise. Also, pure CBD possibly has medicinal value but the presence of THC has already led to the termination of one of our drivers. He did not appear to be impaired at all but zero tollerance for illigal drug use is the rule. Construction is not the safest industry on a good day...I am pretty sure NC will be legalizing marijuana soon. I do not advicate for the legalization of marijuana but as a Safety Professional I have to educate myself. Do we know, like alcohol, how much marijuana impairs the average person and/or how long the effects last? Where can I read/download reliable information?

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Name
February 13, 2020
It forces us to pay attention to our worker's actions to identify when someone is under the influence of anything! If someone takes a narcotic they have been prescribed, that is legal, but is it safe? We need to find a test that will tell us if someone is currently under the influence of marijuana, not if they had some the night before instead of a glass of wine.

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Jerry
February 14, 2020
On the job or off, drugs, legal, recreational or otherwise , have an affect on the body and mind and can impair normal function. It is simply dismissive to believe you can operate at 100% driving, operating machinery or have full command over your mind and body when under the influence of THC. Unfortunately, most safety lessons learned, injury, fatalities or other impacts must be lived through before people wake up and see the damages caused. Ask yourself if you want your surgeon, pilot, day-care provider, mechanic or other depended upon individual to be "baked" at work or just before getting to work next time you need to rely on them. If you follow the stats, automobile accidents with drivers under the influence of THC is on the rise, so are the insurance rates in many of the states legalizing use. Time will tell, but its likely abuse will drive increased impact rates until enough evidence is gathered to prove the politically correct crowd wrong and calls for regulations are suggested. So it goes with many obvious risky behaviors .

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Susan
February 14, 2020
I think it is here to stay, so we need to revise our rules to combat it. Just because marijuana is legal to use does not mean it is acceptable to come to work "high" anymore than it is ok to come to work drunk. Alcohol is legal. We don't tolerate drunks at work. Why on earth would marijuana use be treated any differently? There needs to be a test that can be given in the workplace, should it become necessary, that is recognized and accepted by the medical AND legal fields.

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Peter Young
February 21, 2020
Hats off to Instructor Dave. Well said. Well lived!

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Name
February 21, 2020
I believe responsibility belongs to the individual, as it should. Having said that, I would hope that the recreational use of marijuana be done at an appropriate time, notably after working hours. If issues arise from on the job use, it should be dealt with strongly!

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Linda
February 24, 2020
Alcohol is a much more dangerous problem in the work place than marajuana.

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Mike Scheel
February 25, 2020
I,m especially concerned because our company is in Wisconsin where it is still illegal. We employee workers from Illinois were it is now legal so trying to navigate that is a challenge. still not sure how to deal with it yet.

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Gordon Stevens
February 25, 2020
Marijuana use hurts teen development cognitive skills and judgement. By the time an individual enters the work force, these issues may reduce their employment opportunities. Chronic usage among others can also take a toll on their personality, making them anxious, and irritable. Overall, not a good choice for many as it will hamper one's memory. I am fully in agreement with its legalisation, but I think there needs to be the ability to give accurate tests to determine if someone is impaired on the road and in the workplace for the safety of themselves and for the innocents working alongside with them.

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Rick
February 25, 2020
Drugs in any form that numb the senses create a distraction risk that in many job performances today can be fatal for the employee and others. Allowing marijuana in the workforce only adds greater risk of injury or death to the work environment. It would be like playing Russian roulette, only with bullets in five of the six cylinders instead of one. Overall it becomes a monetary and personnel loss risk I strongly recommend that no state or country business should allow.

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Fred G.
February 28, 2020
I find the idea of marijuana legalization appalling. Once that cat is out of the bag there will be no chance to put it back in. But we are fooling ourselves if we believe that marijuana is the only drug prevalent in our work force. Making it legal, look at the amount of alcohol in the work force, will compound safety professional's jobs. Talk to, write to, and email your Representatives, local, state and federal, to vote no when this comes up.

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Bob Davis
February 28, 2020
I believe the Federal Government needs to understand the impact legalizing Marijuana will have to all companies with workers comp claims and the elevated cost for work comp. I believe this has the potential to put companies in financial trouble. Also it will put safety professionals in difficult positions because of the elevated accidents on the job. I am totally against legalizing Marijuana.

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Walt DeBord
March 6, 2020
Mainly concerned that, because of the legalization of the product in several states now, we see some employers in specific industries are not performing pre-hire drug screens, citing they would not be able to hire the employees they need.

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George Mills
March 6, 2020
Coming from Jamaica we have a different view of Marijuana. It is a part of our culture so to speak it was never really seen as a drug (on the local level) it was more or less seen as a gift from God that was never really understood and appreciated. There are so many uses that have never been explored. My grandmother used it to deal with her eyesight and it worked, it was used for stomach problems and other ailments and it worked every time. So people from Jamaica have a different view on the subject, we are in America and most of us follow the law. But our view remains.

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Bill Vaughan
March 12, 2020
We are an Electrical Construction firm, with a division located in Colorado. Since Colorado legislation legalized marijuana for recreational use in 2014, we have experienced one incident where an employee failed a random drug screen test. Because we contract on many Federal projects, we do pre-employment and random testing and have seen no problem hiring or retaining personnel. When it comes to driving and vehicle accidents involving company vehicles, all of the incidents we have experienced were "inattentive driving" (texting or phone calls) citations issued to the other drivers; not "Driving Under the Influence".

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Trish
March 12, 2020
People were already consuming marijuana. My concern is how soon after they consumed/par took in it did they begin a safety sensitive task? This is going to be an increasingly common consumption. I’m more concerned with new consumers who may not be used to the high and how it affects them and how quickly they feel “back to normal”.

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Terry Pettigrew
March 20, 2020
Reading the comments below covered my initial thoughts. At work is a concern as we are a large distribution site with a number of powered industrial trucks around. I also agree with Bob Williams posting on November 26, 2019 that I don't want to board a plane or have a surgery with the possibility someone under the influence. We still enforce a no tolerance policy and I have communicated to many that they could fail a drug screen.

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Name
June 8, 2020
It is a gateway drug and leads to the use of more drugs,(kills brain cells). People should only use it for medicinal purposes and not as a way to escape the issues and problems they have created in their own life..... get a grip and face realitiy.

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ABRAHIM BASERI
March 14, 2021
GREETINGS THE INTENSITY OF EFFECTS OF LEGAL MARIJUANA IS ON BRAIN WHICH MAKES THE USER OF THE DRUG IN A STATE OF NON ALRETNESS AND NEEDFUL TO REINJECT AGAIN AND AGAIN THIS MEANS THE USER IS UNABLE TO PERFORM DUTIES. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR THE USE OF MARIJUANA ON WORKERS SINCE IN THE TERMS OF ABSENT MINDED THE WORKER WILL LOSE ABILITY TO THINK AND MAKE BRAIN IN A STATE OF CONTINOUS DRUG ABUSE.

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Josie lee
April 1, 2022
My fiancé is a medical marijuana user. He does not go to work high or use on the job. He was involved in a serious work accident. He was not high! He received workers comp and a settlement. All of you speaking down on marijuana is ridiculous. Someone in these comments said marijuana effects can last for a week. They also said when you drink alcohol the night before you wake up sober. Here’s a news flash for you, the same works with marijuana. In today’s age we do not have mids. Just because the marijuana is stronger today does not change anything. Are you a marijuana smoker today?my guess would be no. I do not believe people that do not smoke should have a say about marijuana. Have your opinions but you do not know how it effects people. The people who do use medical marijuana are long term users.

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hafaz
April 18, 2023
As we age our body weakens which results in many health conditions like arthritis, heart disease, or cancer, and while suffering from these diseases we often experience pain for which we need painkiller Some common pains are back pain, joint pain, and cancer-related pain. For severe back and neck pain, there are several medicines available in the market or online like opioids including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and tramadol. Opioids can also be prescribed for chronic pain and cancer-related pain.