Should Marijuana Be Legalized?

Colorado’s legalization of marijuana began in 2000 with the Colorado Amendment 20. According to Davis, Mendelson, berkes, Suleta, Corsi & Booth (2015) the Colorado Amendment 20 legalized cannabis for medical use only. Even though this was true however, not just anybody was allowed to obtain marijuana. Any person wishing to obtain cannabis had to have a condition that was debilitating. “Debilitating conditions approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and included in Amendment 20 are cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, muscle spasms, and any other condition approved by CDPHE” (Davis et.al, 2015, p.1). This Amendment lasted for nine years and in 2009, anyone was allowed to obtain medical cannabis. There was no

This paper will look at the benefits and drawbacks to legalizing marijuana by looking in at Colorado.The state made forty million dollars by taxed marijuana in 2014 alone, also Colorado saved countless millions because of the extremely lower amounts of marijuana arrest and court cases. It is not clear how having new recreational marijuana stores opening will affect the cannabis market, or businesses expanding around them. Gov. John Hickenlooper says that the economy is thriving with record setting numbers of tourists (73.1 million). 49 percent of those tourist said that legal marijuana influenced their decisions to vacation in Colorado. The ER’s in Colorado have also seen a rise in numbers of marijuana related cases and those cases in non-residents have almost doubled. An unexpected situation that arose from legal cannabis was the amount of electricity that is being use to grow the drug. Some cannabusinesses have to go green with solar or wind power. There are many varying views on the effects of legal marijuana have developed in Colorado since marijuana became legal in 2014.

Colorado's pot paradox: Recreational marijuana is legal, but it's tough to find a place to consume it

Strange Clouds: Is the Legalization of Medical Marijuana and CBD Oil Blurring Employers’ Drug Policies? How Should Your Company Respond?

There has been major news forming around the legalization of marijuana in Colorado. Medical marijuana has been effective in Colorado since 2000. Now marijuana is legal for recreational use for people 21 and up. Many rules and regulations follow the legalization of marijuana. Many people of Colorado fear this legalization, where others are totally for it and think it will help boost Colorado’s economy. I have found many

Christopher Ingraham looks into marijuana’s first year as a business industry in “Colorado’s Legal Weed Market”. In Colorado’s first year of legalization, their recreational dispensaries brought in an estimated $700 million in sales and $63 million in tax revenue (Ingraham). Katie Rucke reports that nearly 10,000 new job opportunities have arisen in “Six Months In, How Has Marijuana Legalization Treated Colorado?” The state’s unemployment rate has dropped down to 6%, one of the lowest rates in the nation, and the lowest it has been in the state since the recession (Rucke). Many jobs created by the

With the passage of Amendment 64 to the state constitution, Colorado became the first state ever to legalize the sale, possession, and use of marijuana. On November 6, 2012, voters passed the amendment with a 9% margin. Interestingly, “Amendment 64 received 53,281 more votes in the state than Barack Obama did during the last presidential election” (Charlton). However, actual sales of marijuana for recreational purposes were delayed until the start of 2014. Amid of flurry of media scandals and protests from anti-marijuana activist groups across the country, Colorado opened its doors to the pot industry with the entire nation watching.

The legalization of marijuana for recreational usage could may be a new trend in America but the Federal government will likely oppose usage through the end of time. The Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) stance is that marijuana is an illegal drug and that using this drug whether for medicinal or recreational purposes is illegal. I chose this topic to research because of awareness bright to light prior to the recent elections. Until researching this topic, I was unaware that marijuana usage is legal in some states and that other states were pushing legislation to get

When employees leave under the Family Medical Leave Act and use medical marijuana method to treat his or her treatment, the employer faces greater chances of conflict between workplace and state policy. For example, the employer who randomly drug tests, and upon an employee’s return from FMLA leave for treatment of medical illness such as cancer, employee tests show positive for marijuana. In that case, the employer, who is unaware of the specific treatments the employee took for her symptoms, terminates the employee for violation of the company drug policy. Although the employee took lawful FMLA leave and treated her symptoms lawfully under state law, her positive drug test directly conflicted with a lawful drug-free workplace policy. According

The issue of medical marijuana has become very controversial at work places. This follows the move by several states to legalize marijuana for medical reasons. As a result, many employers are caught in the quagmire of what they need to do with employees who use drugs such as medical marijuana while at work. A study conducted in 2007 by the Americans for Safe Access revealed that there were about three hundred thousand Americans using marijuana for medical purposes (Schubert 218).

The president’s office has put out a memo with its policy guidelines concerning Medical Marijuana. These guidelines are clear in that marijuana is legal in twenty-three states. As far as the federal government is concerned, it is a no-no for federal employees. The Office of Personnel Management alerted the supervisors of all agencies that the federal law profits use of medical marijuana by government employees circumstances an employee could be fire, even if they are located in one of the legal states. In some situations even having marijuana could incur stiff penalties. Executive order number 123546 drug-free workplace, makes it clear that drug use, including medical marijuana

In Ross v. RagingWire, Gary Ross, Californian veteran, sues RagingWire Telecommunication, Inc for discrimination under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and for wrongful termination in violation of public policy; he lost the litigation. Ross uses marijuana to relieve the strain and muscle spasms in his back as recommended by his physician. He failed the pre-employment drug test because a trace of marijuana was found in his system. Although, Ross has the medical marijuana prescription, he was fired by the company. The Supreme Court ruled that employers have no duty to accommodate employees for off-duty medical marijuana use and have right to end the employment of the employee who failed a drug test. Also in Beinor V Industrial Claims Appeals Office, Jason Beinor uses marijuana to treat his migraine headaches. He was fired from the job because he failed a random drug test. He contends that he only used medical marijuana when he was off-duty and the effects of marijuana never affect this job performances. However, the Colorado Court of Appeal gives the explanation similar to the one given in Ross v.

Twenty-five states and the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. have legalized the use of medical marijuana. This poses a problem for employers that have a strict zero tolerance drug policy while abiding by the Americans with Disabilities Act. For example, an employee can be prescribed medical marijuana by their doctor to relieve certain diseases or symptoms such as cancer and migraines. The objective of this paper is to discuss and illustrate the right of an employer to apply their drug policy and not be required to accommodate an employee and/or applicant’s need for medical marijuana.

Marijuana usage is a topic that has been discussed for some time now but the recent medical and recreational legalization of this drug has brought about a new area of unchartered territory. The business industry will have to revise many of their employment and safety requirements. After viewing some current policies many businesses are likely to be forced to established new protocols for intra and inner state practices. There are many types of complications as to why the marijuana usage laws should stay at the federal level and not within the state.

Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (“Marijuana” 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel “high” or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (“Marijuana” 1). Like most drugs, marijuana has a very long history. People have been using the plant around the world for thousands of years. The oldest record of the marijuana plant dates back to 2727 B. C. in China where the plant was used as a medical herb for treating conditions like rheumatism, gout, malaria and even absent-mindedness (“Cannabis, Coca, & Poopy: Nature’s Addictive Plants” 1). Slowly, the plant started spreading around the world. By 1545, cannabis was starting to appear throughout the western worlds. Being introduced to South America by the Spanish to be used as fiber. The crop also had many other common uses around the world. In North America, cannabis was often used to make paper, ropes, clothing and other materials (“The Origins of Cannabis” 1).