Medical Marijuana in the workforce with a Medical marijuana card
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Medical Marijuana in the workforce with a Medical marijuana card
Medical marijuana use has caused a lot of confusion in many corporate organizations. The use of marijuana as a prescription painkiller has been legalized in many states in the USA and other countries. This leaves employers with an issue to solve because many work places have drug policies that forbid the use of drugs at work. On the other hand employees have a medical marijuana card that gives them patient’s rights to use marijuana. Human resource officers grapple with the question of whether to allow employees with medical marijuana cards the use of medical marijuana.
The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial issue. The research is necessitated by the debate about the employee’s right to use medical marijuana at work place. Many companies are required by law to terminate or put employees who test positive for THC on treatment. This creates legal and ethical problems in making choices. This is because the government wants to promote a drug free work place while state laws permit the use of medical marijuana.
The law prohibits the use of medical marijuana for workers in the transportation sector which require high security like pilots, school drivers, track drivers and armed transit security officers even where the use is legally allowed. In other jobs the law allows the use of medical marijuana. Where employees have medical marijuana cards some companies choose to ignore state laws and fire employees who test positive for THC while others retain them as long as they do a good job. The arguments for use of medical marijuana are presented below.
One argument for medical marijuana use is that it is not more destructive than alcohol or tobacco if used properly. Many studies about the harms caused by medical marijuana are inconclusive. Many doctors agree that when marijuana is used in moderation it’s not harmful and can be of medical benefits as a painkiller. The employers should understand that when used properly by the employee without abuse its okay.
The restriction of the use of medical marijuana is an infringement on the rights of the employee. Even if the substance is shown to harm the user it is the employee who has chosen to harm himself. The restriction is improper because only the user is being harmed. The employer has no right to legislate on what is right or wrong to the employee as it is a moral issue.
There are medical benefits for the use of medical marijuana on cancer patients. The use of medical marijuana has been proven to reduce pain for patients undergoing chemotherapy. There are also other health benefits like reducing stress on the patient. Therefore if an employee is undergoing treatment the employer should not terminate his employment.
The drug enforcement agencies regulate the quality and safety of medical marijuana. The people who use marijuana get sick and die because they take substances that have been prepared improperly. Medical marijuana is regulated and therefore its sale is monitored. The people who consume medical marijuana with cards obtain a regulated substance that is not very harmful therefore they should not be dismissed.
As long as the medical marijuana patient is doing his job properly the company should not dismiss him just on the basis of his choice of treatment. The use of medical marijuana does not impair the patient’s performances of his duties.

References
Messerli, J (2011) Should Marijuana be legalized under any Circumstances? Web Retrieved
1.10.2011 <http://www.balancedpolitics.org/marijuana_legalization.htm>
Gorman, S (2011) Medical pot backers say L.A. raids betray Obama vow. Web retrieved
1.10.2011 <http://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=5668>