You did it! You’ve been offered a position working for your dream company, you just need to pass their pre-employment drug screening. 

Shit!

As someone who is a cannabis user, this scenario has played out in my head over a dozen times. Even more so this year as I was seeking full time employment and had been going on quite a few job interviews. I happen to suffer from migraines, anxiety and insomnia; all of which I take cannabis medicinally to remedy my ailments. I also happen to live in a state that is extremely strict when it comes to pre-screen drug testing for employment. Over the past couple of years I have had internal battles about whether or not my marijuana use would be the deal breaker for a job offer. I have teeter tottered between being a freelance marketer, working for myself and continuing to use cannabis and seeking employment, halting my “drug use” and suffering. It’s been a fine line to walk, but when you’re unsure of your future, you do just about anything to secure it. 

Leave Cannabis Out of It

If you read the news or even just skim the headlines, you’re more than likely to find one topic that has been prevalent almost every single day, and that is the employee shortage in the U.S. While on marketing forums and groups, I found that there are many out there who would love to be gainfully employed; something contrary to what mainstream media has focused on. As employees have come into focus even more recently in what is coined as The Great Resignation, it boils down to people wanting to be treated fairly, paid what they deserve and be able to live a more fruitful life that isn’t chained to their emails and desks. For some of us, this also includes not being penalized for our cannabis use. How we can begin to resolve some of this issue is through the hiring process. “Today, 21 states consider it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees for use of medical marijuana. Five states and seven cities, including Washington D.C. and Atlanta, protect employees from discrimination based on the recreational use of marijuana.” (Cuadra, 2021). But what about the rest of the country?

There are still thousands, if not millions of employers who view cannabis in the same light as cocaine, amphetamines and opioids. Even those who may not share that sentiment, still have red tape in regards to their state laws. “Other medical weed-approved states have laws that allow the employer to deny a qualified job applicant a chance based on their weed test results. These laws may also allow the employer to have zero tolerance policies and allow them to fire employees who are found to have drug use while off-duty.” (Klamer, 2021).

Cannabis Users Don’t Equal Stoners

Just as those who choose to drink alcohol outside of work recreationally, I see no problem with cannabis use outside of the job as well. For jobs that require one to operate heavy machinery, policies could include not using marijuana while on the job. But how does one test an employee to see if they are under the influence? “Tests only show whether someone has used marijuana—not if that individual is under the influence. What you need to remember is it doesn't matter if it's urine, oral fluid or hair testing—it just reflects use. It doesn't inform you whether someone was impaired or what their usage patterns are." (Sample, 2020).

But for many of us who sit at a desk in front of a computer screen, cannabis should not hinder one’s ability to perform job duties. In fact, there have been several occasions where I found after cannabis use I was able to focus more, tap into creativity better and didn’t run the risk of my computer screen giving me a migraine. I think where many employers get it wrong is by believing that if you are a cannabis user, you’re going to be flying high. But for many of us, we just want to be able to function normally.

I don’t think that there is going to be a quick solution for this issue, however, I do have some hope after seeing many employers say that as a means to fulfill job shortages, they will be relaxing their pre-screening drug tests when it comes to marijuana. As many cannabis users wait around on the sidelines for marijuana to become federally legal, the best advice I can say is to learn your state laws regarding drug testing, or try to find an employer who has a more relaxed stance on this issue. For now, I’ll be freelancing migraine-less and anxiety-free with my regular medicinal cannabis use.

Resources:

Cuadra, D. 2021, September 29. Is drug testing for marijuana a thing of the past?. ebn. https://www.benefitnews.com/news/should-employers-drug-testing-for-marijuana.

Klamer, H. 2021, November 5. How does my legal medical marijuana drug test affect my pre-employment and job opportunities?. Employment Law Handbook. https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/workplace-behavior/how-does-my-legal-marijuana-use-affect-my-pre-employment-drug-test/.

Sample, Dr. Barry. 2020, February 5. As quoted in Megan Gates, “The Science Behind Marijuana Testing At Work. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/the-science-behind-marijuana-testing-at-work.aspx.