LETTER FROM THE BY PHIL DUBOIS, DRUGSCAN, INC. CHAIRMAN
Medical Marijuana—A Cause for Concern
a razor. Times certainly have changed for Colorado children. According to a Reuter’s report, Sargent Bret Hinkle of Denver’s Police Department Marijuana Unit stated that there are “[a]pples, gummy bears and tons of different edible stuff out there on the market that is infused with Marijuana.” Sadly, neither a child nor an adult could dif- ferentiate between a normal gummy bear or a marijuana-infused gummy bear. Worse yet, a few deaths in Colorado have possibly been linked to marijuana-infused edibles. Even the politicians have seen the
I
“trick” and begun to agree. John Hick- enlooper, the incumbent Democratic governor of Colorado, said voters were reckless in 2012 for legalizing the drug, and his Republican rival, Bob Beauprez, said people should be asked again “if the citizens think that this is maybe a step we’ve gone too far.” Twenty-three states and the District
of Columbia allow medical marijuana and there is a big push from proponents to continue the movement. Florida defeated a big vote in November to legal- ize medical marijuana. As a citizen of Florida, I was very proud to help defeat this measure. Truth be told, it was by a narrow margin and much closer than I would have preferred. The DATIA Board has discussed and approved to set up a Marijuana Defense fund that will advo- cate for the employers right to a drug free workplace. Please stay tuned for more information as we continue to fight for this right. Te Orlando Sentinel contacted me to ask me my thoughts on medical marijuana and other drug testing trends. Below is a reprint. Please feel free to utilize this infor- mation to join DATIA in its fight for the employer’s right to a drug-free workplace.
4 datia focus
have many fond memories of a care- free childhood. Children’s only worries about food were if an apple contained
Keeping Workplaces Drug-free: Front & Center Originally published on June 17, 2014 as a Q&A in the Opinions section of the Orlando Sentinel (
OrlandoSentinel.com/opinion) Please note: Tis article has been condensed for spacing purposes.
Q A
Florida Gov. Rick Scott has spent lots of taxpayer dollars defending the mandatory testing of state employees. What do you think of that practice?
I am obviously pro drug testing. However, litigation up to this point
has shown repeatedly that drug testing non-safety-sensitive public employees is not allowed by the courts. Te U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case so the case is setled for now. Scot believes that the state of Florida employees should have the right to work in a safe and drug-free environment just like any other business. It is difficult to argue against that logic; however, our legal system isn’t always that simple.
Q A
Don’t employees have a basic right to privacy
that shouldn’t be intruded upon without serious cause?
Employees have a basic right to pri- vacy as long as their practices don’t
affect others outside of their home. Tis is extremely difficult because not many indi- viduals only reside in their homes 24 hours a day. Once they leave their homes, they are now on public roads and their safety, along with public safety, is now at risk. According to Columbia University studies,
alcohol users are 13 times more likely to get in an accident than non-alcohol users. If the marijuana user combines alcohol, they are 24 times more likely to be in an accident than a non-marijuana-user. Once the marijuana user gets to work, he or she can affect the safety of the other employees in their workplace.
winter 2015
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