Employees Can Be Fired for Marijuana Use Even If It’s Legal
#1
What a bunch of booshit. I can imagine these judges going home after this ruling and having a Scotch or bourbon drink and thinking nothing of it. Urine tests do not indicate intoxication any more than finding empty bottles of alcohol in the trash do. The federal law is an outdated piece of legislation born out of fear and prejudice.  

Look out Oregon. 



Colorado Supreme Court Rules Employees Can Be Fired for Marijuana Use Even If It’s Legal


Elliot HannonPosted: Mon, Jun 15, 2015, at 06:15 PM PDT

[img]file:////var//mobile//Applications//BBE0A2F0-2866-4F76-9FDF-A38CF593A730//Library//Caches//ImageCache//ee20b253b3e20d1ade0d13a0a0523486[/img]Legal, yes, but pot still could get you fired in pot-pioneer Colorado. 
In Colorado, it is now legal to use marijuana. Paradoxically, you can still lose your job for smoking pot on your own free time. That decision came via the Colorado Supreme Court on Monday and could prove to be a precedent-setting decision in what is considered a gray area of the law.

The court ruled on the case of Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic employee of the Dish Network, who had a medical marijuana card and consumed marijuana when he was off duty to help control painful leg spasms that were the result of a car accident that left him paralyzed. In 2010, Coats, a customer service representative with the company, failed a random drug test and was fried.
Lawyers for Coats argued a Colorado statute specifically aimed at protecting marijuana users prohibited employers from firing employees for engaging in “any lawful activity” on their own time. The court disagreed. “Employees who engage in an activity such as medical marijuana use that is permitted by state law but unlawful under federal law are not protected by the statute,” the court’s 6-to-0 decision reads.

“The court’s decision was a blow to marijuana advocates, who have consistently seen court rulings go against them, with judges in Colorado and elsewhere saying that companies have the right to create their own drug policies,” the New York Times reports. “The loss by Mr. Coats highlights the limits of marijuana legalization at a time when more states are approving medical or recreational uses of a drug that is still outlawed as a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government.”
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#2
Why can't I edit out the image code? Anyone know how to do that?
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#3
As long as marijuana is illegal on a federal level, this is going to happen. That is why I shake my head every time a state legalizes it. People need to be working on getting it legalized on a federal level, or it doesn't seem to mean crap. Sorry potheads.
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#4
(06-16-2015, 05:29 AM)cletus1 Wrote: What a bunch of booshit. I can imagine these judges going home after this ruling and having a Scotch or bourbon drink and thinking nothing of it. Urine tests do not indicate intoxication any more than finding empty bottles of alcohol in the trash do. The federal law is an outdated piece of legislation born out of fear and prejudice.  

Look out Oregon. 



Colorado Supreme Court Rules Employees Can Be Fired for Marijuana Use Even If It’s Legal


Elliot HannonPosted: Mon, Jun 15, 2015, at 06:15 PM PDT

[img]file:////var//mobile//Applications//BBE0A2F0-2866-4F76-9FDF-A38CF593A730//Library//Caches//ImageCache//ee20b253b3e20d1ade0d13a0a0523486[/img]Legal, yes, but pot still could get you fired in pot-pioneer Colorado. 
In Colorado, it is now legal to use marijuana. Paradoxically, you can still lose your job for smoking pot on your own free time. That decision came via the Colorado Supreme Court on Monday and could prove to be a precedent-setting decision in what is considered a gray area of the law.

The court ruled on the case of Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic employee of the Dish Network, who had a medical marijuana card and consumed marijuana when he was off duty to help control painful leg spasms that were the result of a car accident that left him paralyzed. In 2010, Coats, a customer service representative with the company, failed a random drug test and was fried.
Lawyers for Coats argued a Colorado statute specifically aimed at protecting marijuana users prohibited employers from firing employees for engaging in “any lawful activity” on their own time. The court disagreed. “Employees who engage in an activity such as medical marijuana use that is permitted by state law but unlawful under federal law are not protected by the statute,” the court’s 6-to-0 decision reads.

“The court’s decision was a blow to marijuana advocates, who have consistently seen court rulings go against them, with judges in Colorado and elsewhere saying that companies have the right to create their own drug policies,” the New York Times reports. “The loss by Mr. Coats highlights the limits of marijuana legalization at a time when more states are approving medical or recreational uses of a drug that is still outlawed as a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government.”

Well, Clete,
I don't care if it's legal in the state or the country, I don't want the guy driving my tour bus to be high. I used to work in an industry where our work was dangerous by nature and I didn't want the guy working with me to be stoned. I would't want the surgeon cutting on me to be wasted. And so on. 
Rights and responsibilities: The tension we wall have to live with. 
So, we get to the "on their own time" issue. There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement. 
Folks who can't live without getting high should maybe reevaluate things. 
As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem. 
Then there is the other option: Change jobs.  Big Grin Or quit work and live on the little woman's salary.  Razz
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#5
(06-16-2015, 05:38 AM)cletus1 Wrote: Why can't I edit out the image code? Anyone know how to do that?

LOL, I asked the same question a while back. Someone( I forget) told me how but what they said didn't work for me.
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#6
(06-16-2015, 05:41 AM)HolyMaryMotherOfGod Wrote: As long as marijuana is illegal on a federal level, this is going to happen. That is why I shake my head every time a state legalizes it. People need to be working on getting it legalized on a federal level, or it doesn't seem to mean crap. Sorry potheads.

Funny how some non pot smokers for some reason need to be insulting to those of us who do smoke the weed.
I bet you don't call people who enjoy a glass of wine or a beer drunks or boozers.

IMO a "pothead" is someone who thinks MJ is Gods gift and rarely a days goes buy when they aren't stoned.

Anyway your premise that state legalized MJ doesn't mean crap is only true in a situation like in the OP.
You say "People need to be working on getting it legalized on a federal level" ... what better way to do that than to pass state laws making it legal?

The police in my state will no longer spend their time on most MJ users. Many of us can and will grow our own weed without any LE raiding our gardens.The price will plummet although I haven't spent any money on MJ in many years,. So legal weed doesn't mean crap? Yes it does mean crap Laughing
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#7
(06-16-2015, 07:14 AM)Wonky3 Wrote: Well, Clete,
I don't care if it's legal in the state or the country, I don't want the guy driving my tour bus to be high. I used to work in an industry where our work was dangerous by nature and I didn't want the guy working with me to be stoned. I would't want the surgeon cutting on me to be wasted. And so on. 
Rights and responsibilities: The tension we wall have to live with. 
So, we get to the "on their own time" issue. There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement. 
Folks who can't live without getting high should maybe reevaluate things. 
As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem. 
Then there is the other option: Change jobs.  Big Grin Or quit work and live on the little woman's salary.  Razz

There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.


Seriously? You actually believe that? "some evidence"? I think that ONLY someone like you who has never smoked MJ would believe that several days after smoking a person would have  impaired reflexes and judgement.

What about hung over drunks? You might have read somewhere about this "some evidence" story but you know for a fact that people go to work hung over and unfit for work.
I know I have and probably you have too. 

I understand what your thinking is. That even though a person is not high at work if he fails a drug test there isn't anyway for an employer to know if he gets high on the job or not.
That's a problem, I get it.


Quote:As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem.

Wow, who ever said it was? The fact is that sometimes it's a much better alternative to prescription drugs.
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#8
Does this mean you can't smoke marijuana off the clock? In your own free time?
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#9
(06-16-2015, 12:50 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Does this mean you can't smoke marijuana off the clock? In your own free time?

YES, THAT WHAT IT MEANS (If you want to keep your job)
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#10
(06-16-2015, 12:58 PM)chuck white Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 12:50 PM)Tiamat Wrote: Does this mean you can't smoke marijuana off the clock? In your own free time?

YES, THAT WHAT IT MEANS (If you want to keep your job)

In that case I reply to BZ:  OH PLEEASE!!  That's absolutely ridiculous. Nobody's waking up and still high after they had a recreational bowl or three the night before. I've seen drunk people after a night of drinking but not stoned people after some weed. I've seen people goofy on their allergy meds. That's a bunch of hogwash put out by anti pot fanatics who are still beating the drum about the evils of MJ.
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#11
(06-16-2015, 05:38 AM)cletus1 Wrote: Why can't I edit out the image code? Anyone know how to do that?

Yes
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#12
(06-16-2015, 01:17 PM)SFLiberal Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 05:38 AM)cletus1 Wrote: Why can't I edit out the image code? Anyone know how to do that?

Yes
Yes, SFLib took a forced vacation for it.
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#13
(06-16-2015, 12:25 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 07:14 AM)Wonky3 Wrote: Well, Clete,
I don't care if it's legal in the state or the country, I don't want the guy driving my tour bus to be high. I used to work in an industry where our work was dangerous by nature and I didn't want the guy working with me to be stoned. I would't want the surgeon cutting on me to be wasted. And so on. 
Rights and responsibilities: The tension we wall have to live with. 
So, we get to the "on their own time" issue. There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement. 
Folks who can't live without getting high should maybe reevaluate things. 
As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem. 
Then there is the other option: Change jobs.  Big Grin Or quit work and live on the little woman's salary.  Razz

There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.


Seriously? You actually believe that? "some evidence"? I think that ONLY someone like you who has never smoked MJ would believe that several days after smoking a person would have  impaired reflexes and judgement.

What about hung over drunks? You might have read somewhere about this "some evidence" story but you know for a fact that people go to work hung over and unfit for work.
I know I have and probably you have too. 

I understand what your thinking is. That even though a person is not high at work if he fails a drug test there isn't anyway for an employer to know if he gets high on the job or not.
That's a problem, I get it.



Quote:As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem.

Wow, who ever said it was? The fact is that sometimes it's a much better alternative to prescription drugs.

In Red, above.  Say what? There was a time when I smoked far too much weed. In the early 80's I had to start taking drug tests (because of the work I did) and just never went back to it. (For one thing, my wife was a school teacher and didn't want to get jammed up somehow with pot in the house and have it cost her the job). 
My own experience was that I "felt" some after affects of reflexes (etc) after smoking. I rode motorcycles and often wondered if my riding was a bit less fluid on "the day after". Maybe just my impression, I don't have any science to back that up. 
There are times when listening to music that I think about smoking again. I might if younger, but now it just does not seem all that important. And I wonder about folks to whom the stuff is IMPORTANT. It's something we should be able to live without if necessary. 
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#14
Want a job? Pass a pee test. Simple.
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#15
(06-16-2015, 03:46 PM)Wonky3 Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 12:25 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 07:14 AM)Wonky3 Wrote: Well, Clete,
I don't care if it's legal in the state or the country, I don't want the guy driving my tour bus to be high. I used to work in an industry where our work was dangerous by nature and I didn't want the guy working with me to be stoned. I would't want the surgeon cutting on me to be wasted. And so on. 
Rights and responsibilities: The tension we wall have to live with. 
So, we get to the "on their own time" issue. There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement. 
Folks who can't live without getting high should maybe reevaluate things. 
As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem. 
Then there is the other option: Change jobs.  Big Grin Or quit work and live on the little woman's salary.  Razz

There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.


Seriously? You actually believe that? "some evidence"? I think that ONLY someone like you who has never smoked MJ would believe that several days after smoking a person would have  impaired reflexes and judgement.

What about hung over drunks? You might have read somewhere about this "some evidence" story but you know for a fact that people go to work hung over and unfit for work.
I know I have and probably you have too. 

I understand what your thinking is. That even though a person is not high at work if he fails a drug test there isn't anyway for an employer to know if he gets high on the job or not.
That's a problem, I get it.




Quote:As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem.

Wow, who ever said it was? The fact is that sometimes it's a much better alternative to prescription drugs.

In Red, above.  Say what? There was a time when I smoked far too much weed. In the early 80's I had to start taking drug tests (because of the work I did) and just never went back to it. (For one thing, my wife was a school teacher and didn't want to get jammed up somehow with pot in the house and have it cost her the job). 
My own experience was that I "felt" some after affects of reflexes (etc) after smoking. I rode motorcycles and often wondered if my riding was a bit less fluid on "the day after". Maybe just my impression, I don't have any science to back that up. 
There are times when listening to music that I think about smoking again. I might if younger, but now it just does not seem all that important. And I wonder about folks to whom the stuff is IMPORTANT. It's something we should be able to live without if necessary. 

My mistake. What I should have said is that you sound exactly like someone who has never smoked MJ or someone who barely has.
I have never felt any kind of after affects from MJ days later OR the next day.

Now I wonder how you say you don't have any science to back that up but your previous post you said said There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.

Which is it?
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#16
(06-16-2015, 04:33 PM)Scrapper Wrote: Want a job? Pass a pee test.  Simple.

That's exactly what I tell my grandson and IMO it's only "simple" in that respect.

The truth of the matter is that you can be denied a job OR lose a job for doing something on your own time that has no affect on your job.
The truth is that if you fail a drug test your employer doesn't really know if you were actually EVER under the influence while you were on the job.
 The truth of the matter is that the single most popular and the least harmful drug (Marijuana) is the easiest to detect and stays in a persons system the LONGEST.
While the more harmful , more dangerous drugs pass throug your system VERY quickly.
 
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#17
(06-16-2015, 04:33 PM)Scrapper Wrote: Want a job? Pass a pee test.  Simple.

Simple, but unjust.  If it's legal, it shouldn't matter if you do something legal in your own time.
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#18
So, what is needed is for it to be legal federally.
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#19
(06-16-2015, 04:55 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 03:46 PM)Wonky3 Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 12:25 PM)tvguy Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 07:14 AM)Wonky3 Wrote: Well, Clete,
I don't care if it's legal in the state or the country, I don't want the guy driving my tour bus to be high. I used to work in an industry where our work was dangerous by nature and I didn't want the guy working with me to be stoned. I would't want the surgeon cutting on me to be wasted. And so on. 
Rights and responsibilities: The tension we wall have to live with. 
So, we get to the "on their own time" issue. There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement. 
Folks who can't live without getting high should maybe reevaluate things. 
As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem. 
Then there is the other option: Change jobs.  Big Grin Or quit work and live on the little woman's salary.  Razz

There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.


Seriously? You actually believe that? "some evidence"? I think that ONLY someone like you who has never smoked MJ would believe that several days after smoking a person would have  impaired reflexes and judgement.

What about hung over drunks? You might have read somewhere about this "some evidence" story but you know for a fact that people go to work hung over and unfit for work.
I know I have and probably you have too. 

I understand what your thinking is. That even though a person is not high at work if he fails a drug test there isn't anyway for an employer to know if he gets high on the job or not.
That's a problem, I get it.





Quote:As to the medical issue: I don't believe for a minute that grass is the ONLY substance that will address the problems of any medical problem.

Wow, who ever said it was? The fact is that sometimes it's a much better alternative to prescription drugs.

In Red, above.  Say what? There was a time when I smoked far too much weed. In the early 80's I had to start taking drug tests (because of the work I did) and just never went back to it. (For one thing, my wife was a school teacher and didn't want to get jammed up somehow with pot in the house and have it cost her the job). 
My own experience was that I "felt" some after affects of reflexes (etc) after smoking. I rode motorcycles and often wondered if my riding was a bit less fluid on "the day after". Maybe just my impression, I don't have any science to back that up. 
There are times when listening to music that I think about smoking again. I might if younger, but now it just does not seem all that important. And I wonder about folks to whom the stuff is IMPORTANT. It's something we should be able to live without if necessary. 

My mistake. What I should have said is that you sound exactly like someone who has never smoked MJ or someone who barely has.
I have never felt any kind of after affects from MJ days later OR the next day.

Now I wonder how you say you don't have any science to back that up but your previous post you said said There is some evidence that MJ stays in the blood for several days and it's suspected that even after the "high" has left us we still may have impaired reflexes and judgement.

Which is it?

Yeah, my bad.
It's "science" that MJ stays in the blood for a few days. Ask those who know they have to be tested. But I didn't mean to suggest it was science that we might have "after effects". That was my own guess, and NOT science for sure. I dunno...maybe my thinking I had some after-effects was because I also drank a LOT of wine or beer or whatever also and ate every thing I could get my hands on.  Embarrassed
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#20
(06-16-2015, 05:26 PM)Tiamat Wrote:
(06-16-2015, 04:33 PM)Scrapper Wrote: Want a job? Pass a pee test.  Simple.

Simple, but unjust.  If it's legal, it shouldn't matter if you do something legal in your own time.
Until there's a better way to test for it... It's just the way it is. Employers have to err on the side of protecting their business.
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