Cannabis in the workplace

[florduh]

It's cool to see Amazon pave the way cause I'm from Canada and even before legalization I never had a problem getting a position working at condo buildings, call centers, tow truck company, various stores, then when I went down to Florida it obviously became an issue.

But what was really unfair was I was testing positive for marijuana about 3 months after I stopped smoking, and still was getting denied jobs. I don't know what tokers do down in USA, as I was at a complete stand still because I had smoked 3 months prior haha.

Finally got a job in some factory, saved a bit, and came back to Canada.

Isn't "the freest country in the world" grand?

And yes, I feel like I hear about this problem more in Floriduh than in Cali, despite FL's relatively liberal medical program.

It also sure seems to mostly affect jobs Americans view as "lowly". It doesn't seem to be a problem in the financial industry, despite finance bros' blood mostly consisting of coke and black market Adderall.

 

[Cheebsy]

WTF? You guys in the us sometimes need to take lie detector tests for an employer? Wow!

 

[His_Highness]

I've had to take 2 lie detector tests.....one was due to a "in-house suspected theft" and the other was when applying for a contract associated with a company doing business with the military. In both cases the question "have you used illegal drugs while working" was asked.

 

[Tranquility]

Was this a follicle test or a urine test?

I never failed a urinalysis drug test or a lie detector test and used cannabis a week before each urine test.

I learned some things from a pharmacist friend of mine about the urine test. I've come up inconclusive on both a urinalysis and a lie detector test and then passed the urinalysis the second time. Most times I passed it the first go round. The lie detector tests were only given once even though I came up inconclusive. For me....Passing a urine test is mostly about over hydrating and beating the lie detector was all about over caffeinating. During the lie detector tests I've been asked if I had used any drugs to beat the test and I've thought to myself "yes, I used caffeine pills" but said "no".... the test requires a reaction to the lie but when you're over caffeinated everything causes a reaction.

I would have come up dirty on a urine test if a urine test can pick it up after 3 months because I would have thought I didn't need to worry. I've never had a follicle test but my understanding is they can't be beat.

While far afield, the key to beating a lie detector is to know how it works and then be able to simulate emotion. My goto was a deceased pet. Thought of that when they asked the control questions. If my physiological reaction to being asked if I ever stole is off the charts (thanks to thinking of Fifi) a true "lie" barely registers.

 

[cybrguy]

It's cool to see Amazon pave the way cause I'm from Canada and even before legalization I never had a problem getting a position working at condo buildings, call centers, tow truck company, various stores, then when I went down to Florida it obviously became an issue.

But what was really unfair was I was testing positive for marijuana about 3 months after I stopped smoking, and still was getting denied jobs. I don't know what tokers do down in USA, as I was at a complete stand still because I had smoked 3 months prior haha.

Finally got a job in some factory, saved a bit, and came back to Canada.

The state of the testing is the problem to me, not the testing itself. When a realtime test is developed, like current alcohol breathalyzers, I will have no problem with employers using it if they so choose, with adequate informing/warning. Until then decisions can only really be made fairly based on observable behavior or performance. Blood tests just don't yet measure what an employer is really after.

 

[BallzMcVinegar]

Currently sober as a church mouse to pass a test for a new job. I mostly vape CBD and I still come up hot. In the PNW too. Everyone around here blazes but any job worth a damn requires a screening. Been a month and Im still pissing hot.

 

[VapeEscapist]

Once upon a time I had a job that involved spreadsheets and many, many legal documents. After passing their pre-screen I was getting high on the regular again. One day I tried to do the job high and though I thought I had done well, the work was poor at best.

As others have stated, some manual work I have found to be no problem high for the most part.

Cooking, baking, serving.

I ride a bike in NYC a lot higher than I would ever recommend to most people. I can't say if I'm better at games high but even if I was, how would I ever give up playing video games high?

 

[BallzMcVinegar]

I only puff at the end of my responsibilities a couple hours before bed. I dont like being at work high but no employer will believe that.

 

[florduh]

I dont like being at work high but no employer will believe that.

And that's the rub. Any employer who drug tests essentially has a "you can't smoke weed at home" policy. I find that to be an unreasonable violation of privacy. And if refusing to violate their employees' privacy in this way costs corporations a percent or two more on their insurance expenses, so be it. Some sacrifices to Moloch should be off-limits.

We have the perfect test case now. Amazon isn't drug testing any more. Are they gonna be less profitable? Are they gonna go belly up? No, they're gonna keep growing until they eat the World.

 

[Ramahs]

I don't know what tokers do down in USA

That's why I've heard past employers here in the USA sometimes refer to UA's (piss tests) administered to job applicants as "IQ" tests, because anyone who's not an idiot should be able to pass them if they do their research and educate themselves on the subject.

Of course, as others have said, hair follicle tests and certain types of higher end lab tests are impossible to pass...but most employers don't usually use those because of the significantly higher cost of the testing.

 

[BallzMcVinegar]

And that's the rub. Any employer who drug tests essentially has a "you can't smoke weed at home" policy. I find that to be an unreasonable violation of privacy. And if refusing to violate their employees' privacy in this way costs corporations a percent or two more on their insurance expenses, so be it. Some sacrifices to Moloch should be off-limits.

We have the perfect test case now. Amazon isn't drug testing any more. Are they gonna be less profitable? Are they gonna go belly up? No, they're gonna keep growing until they eat the World.

Yup. They would rather me drink a 12 pack a night and show up hungover than take a few puffs after work, eat and get a good nights rest. I dont want to drink anymore. I spent too many years lost in the liquor. It has become clear that I cant control the booze and I cant have it as a part of my daily routine. A couple bowls in a dynavap of CBD works for me but that makes me a druggie in the eyes of an employer. Very frustrating.

 

[HealthyRippingBrian]

follicle test

yup the big bad follicle test

WTF? You guys in the us sometimes need to take lie detector tests for an employer? Wow!

this is news to me coming across it in this thread too, that's CRAZY

 

[Chicken No Name]

I've had to take 2 lie detector tests.....one was due to a "in-house suspected theft" and the other was when applying for a contract associated with a company doing business with the military. In both cases the question "have you used illegal drugs while working" was asked.

Amazing. I've had to work for the British military as a sub contractor at the highest levels, including on sites handling atomic materials.
Only requirement was a comprehensive back ground check and interview. The clearance then lasted 10 years.

I would like to think here in Europe most countries would not allow such behaviour by employers but where America treads, we're generally not far behind .....

Thank fuck I'm out of the corporate world now. Once I've paid my bills, I'm answerable to no one but the boss lady....

 

[His_Highness]

Hadn't thought about this in decades.....Senior year of college and they had companies come in to recruit. During the IBM presentation the rep made a point to talk about the company culture and how blue pinstripe suits where the uniform of the day. If a student was interested in a particular company you had to use "interview points" to request the interview. I declined to bid on the IBM interview because the whole thing sounded a little too restrictive and big brother like.

Ironic considering that having to take a piss test for a corporate job didn't turn me off but a blue pinstripe suit did.

 

[invertedisdead]

Anyone who drug tests essentially has a "you can't smoke weed at home" policy. I find that to be an unreasonable violation of privacy.

What happened to Medical Marijuana? These states were only able to pass legalization by first passing medical. Now they act like nobody uses for medical reasons and it's not a thing.

These states are only progressive enough to pass legislation which would enable the laundering of copious amounts of tax revenue, just not progressive enough to actually believe in what they're selling.

 

[Tranquility]

Just to put a shine on the "testing just shows use at some previous time" argument; this is from the DOJ (Actually, National Institute of Justice under the DOJ):

Field Sobriety Tests and THC Levels Unreliable Indicators of Marijuana Intoxication

...Testing Biofluids for THC
Samples of blood, urine, and oral fluid were collected from study participants before cannabis dosing and then nearly every hour for eight hours after dosing. The researchers sent all biofluid samples to commercial forensic toxicology laboratories to be analyzed for THC as well as nonpsychoactive cannabis components cannabidiol and cannabinol.

Results from the toxicology tests showed that the levels of all three targeted cannabis components (THC, cannabidiol, and cannabinol) in blood, urine, and oral fluid did not correlate with cognitive or psychomotor impairment measures for oral or vaporized cannabis administration...

 

[cybrguy]

Right, the testing must be improved before it can be relied upon for anything other than an indicator that someone has used cannabis in the past few weeks. And they know it. So, any authority in the US using blood, piss, or any other currently available test to measure inebriation is just plain lying. Not that anyone in government would lie.

This is not a permanent condition, but it is true today.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

If/when there is an accurate test to see if a person is under the influence of Cannabis ("high"), how do you guys feel about employers being able to prohibit being "high" on the job?

 

[BrianTL]

If/when there is an accurate test to see if a person is under the influence of Cannabis ("high"), how do you guys feel about employers being able to prohibit being "high" on the job?

I completely agree current drug testing situation is 100% BS as @florduh was saying... its ridiculous to be able to prevent an employee from smoking a joint on the weekend if he/she chooses. but if there were an instant-read similar to breathalyzing BAC, I think an employer has every right to expect his employees be sober on the clock, as a general rule.

Gets a little complicated if said employee has a med card, IMO. Honestly, I would still probably lean towards employers right to say you cant be high on the job.

 

[C No Ego]

If/when there is an accurate test to see if a person is under the influence of Cannabis ("high"), how do you guys feel about employers being able to prohibit being "high" on the job?

so far this is the only verified info on what is happeneing @ the molecular level - cannabinoids as anti oxidatns and neuroprotectants #6630507 .. that is illegal however ,,, oh