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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: New law won’t protect marijuana smokers at drug-free work places Dee Riggs The Wenatchee World Wednesday 05 Dec 2012 Attorneys who specialize in employment law are recommending that their clients keep policies in effect that emphasize drug-free work places. “The biggest surprise to those who supported this initiative is that you can still smoke marijuana at home in privacy and still potentially get fired,” said Wenatchee attorney Ernest Radillo. He says he tells business owners that “marijuana affects people differently, according to usage and body size, and you don’t want to implement a policy that falls into a gray area because you would be exposing yourself to liability.” Wenatchee attorney Gil Sparks said he has been fielding “a dozen calls a week” from business owners wondering if their drug-testing policies still stand. “In terms of employment, nothing has really changed,” Sparks said. “If they have a drug-free work place, and they want to prohibit employees from using marijuana, they can do so.” The attorneys note that federal law still considers any amount of marijuana illegal. This means that organizations that receive on federal funds must keep drug-free policies in place or face the loss of those funds. A quick survey of local businesses and governmental entities shows that employers are not changing their drug policies to accommodate marijuana users. “As a medical facility, we feel employees should not be impaired by drugs or alcohol while at work,” said Steph Grubich, a spokeswoman for the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center. She said the medical center requires a drug-free, pre-employment screening and employees can be tested if officials suspect they may be impaired. Also not changing drug-free work place rules are Alcoa, the city of Wenatchee, the Chelan County PUD and Central Washington Hospital. And if you’re considering a career in law enforcement, marijuana use is going to make that difficult. The State Patrol, for example, won’t accept you as a trooper if you’ve used marijuana in the past three years or more than 15 times in your life, said Trooper Darren Wright. They’ll check for lying, too, with a polygraph test. And, if you’ve used the drug in the recent past, a pre-employment drug test will make you ineligible. “We will not reduce our standards for drug use just because it’s legal now,” Wright said. Dee Riggs: 664-7147 deeriggs@wenatcheeworld.com http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/dec/05/new-law-wont-protect-marijuana-smokers-at-drug/
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