cannabisnews.com: Legal Pot Use Can Make Jobs Go Up in Smoke





Legal Pot Use Can Make Jobs Go Up in Smoke
Posted by CN Staff on December 30, 2005 at 08:18:59 PT
By Kimberly Trone, The Press-Enterprise
Source: Press-Enterprise 
California -- Donna Dixon found out the hard way that a state law allowing her to use marijuana for glaucoma didn't keep her from getting fired from a casino job after a positive drug test. In 1996, California voters passed the Compassion Use Act that allowed the cultivation, transportation and use of marijuana by patients and caregivers with a doctor's recommendation.
It did not, however, include job protection, said Michael Shapiro of the University of Southern California School of Law, an expert in constitutional issues. The California Supreme Court this month agreed to hear the case of Ross v. Ragingwire Telecommunications to decide whether employers can fire employees for off-duty use of marijuana in accordance with state laws. The justices have not set a date to hear the case. Workers who have been fired or disciplined for using medicinal marijuana have filed numerous complaints with the state, claiming their employers violated California labor law, which prohibits people from being punished for performing a legal act while off duty, said Dean Fryer, spokesman for the California Department of Industrial Relations. But the state is not processing their complaints. "We are not accepting any claims for discrimination regarding the use of medical marijuana because federal law makes it illegal and therefore it is not lawful off-duty conduct," Fryer said, adding that the California labor code does not distinguish between state and federal law. Clarity SoughtDixon, the mother of two teenage boys, was fired earlier this year for testing positive for marijuana during a random drug test. She worked in the Pechanga Resort & Casino for almost three years, first as a housekeeper and later counting money. Pechanga representatives did not respond to requests for an interview, but an arbitration agreement between Dixon and the tribe said Pechanga employees are subject to discharge in the event of a positive drug test. Dixon, 50, said she is optimistic the California justices will decide in favor of medicinal users, who use the drug to treat symptoms of chronic or debilitating illnesses such as migraines and cancer. "I want clarity. There are a lot of people who want clarity on this," Dixon said from her Lake Elsinore-area home. Court RulingSome employers say the issue was clarified when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that state laws do not protect medicinal-marijuana users from federal laws that make such behavior criminal. Jim Richardson, regional director of the California Association of Employers, said companies were concerned about how to handle employees' medical-marijuana use until that decision. The not-for-profit employers association of 500 members assists small-to-medium companies with human-resources issues. "Our association is now able to give (our members) assurance they do not have to balance a duty to accommodate an applicant or employee whose drug use impairs their performance and poses a potential liability should an accident occur," Richardson said. He said, however, that employers could consider accommodating an employee or job applicant if there are no safety issues that are involved in their work. Those accommodations could also include steering the user toward a prescription drug such as Marinol, although medical-marijuana advocates argue the synthetic pharmaceutical is not nearly as effective. Under a mandate from the state, Riverside County began issuing identification cards for medicinal medical users on Dec. 1. The card alerts police that the holder has the appropriate documentation to use and transport marijuana. Riverside County, which has about 17,000 employees, is closely monitoring the court cases, said the county's director of human resources, Ron Komers. And even though the county is issuing the cards, job applicants and employees of Riverside County are disqualified from employment for using marijuana -- even if they use the substance with the recommendation of a physician, Komers said. "We are an interesting situation," Komers said. "Because we do receive federal funds we are subject to federal transportation guidelines to fire or discipline somebody who utilizes an illegal substance." Conflicting LawsAdvocates for medicinal marijuana say it is a mistake to confuse federal criminal laws with state employment laws when marijuana is legitimately being used to treat a person's disability. "No person should lose their job solely because they use medical marijuana," said Nikos Leverenz, associate director of the Drug Policy Alliance in Sacramento, which supports medical-marijuana use. The alliance urged the state Supreme Court to hear the case of Gary Ross, a computer systems administrator who was terminated after testing positive for marijuana. He said he used the drug at home to alleviate chronic back pain. "Workers and job applicants with disabilities may be compelled to choose between employment opportunity and medical treatment," the alliance argued in a 12-page letter filed with the court. Bruce Mirken, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, said advocates are not suggesting employers don't have a right to be concerned about productivity, safety and workplace performance. "Obviously they do," Mirken said, adding that many employers may not have revised their decades-old drug-use policies in light of new laws allowing medical-marijuana use. Dixon said she told her employer about her use of marijuana from the day she was hired until she was fired from the $12.40-an-hour job at Pechanga. "I had a good work record, good write-ups. I was in no danger of being fired, but after that (drug test) it was like I had the plague," Dixon said. "They took a person who worked every day -- a law-abiding person -- and turned me into a welfare case by taking away my job." Dixon appealed a Pechanga denial of unemployment benefits and prevailed. The arbitrator, Stephen B. Chan, agreed that Dixon was candid about her marijuana use and concluded she was "discharged for reasons other than misconduct." Since being fired, Dixon believes she was disqualified from two solid job prospects, one for a large supermarket chain and the other for a large soda pop company, after mentioning her use of medical marijuana during job interviews. "It is about principles," she said. "The people of this state said it is OK for me to use marijuana as long as me and my doctor agree. I am exercising my legal rights. Why should I lie?" Safety ConcernsCritics say pre-employment and random drug tests are an invasion of privacy, performed almost solely to weed out marijuana users, even though alcohol use poses more of a workplace hazard. All a urine drug test tells you is that an individual has used a drug within the past six weeks and one of the drug residuals that remains in a person's system longest is marijuana, said Dr. David Bearman, a Santa Barbara physician helping to lead a national campaign to legitimize marijuana for medicinal uses. "The most significant drug of abuse is alcohol and alcohol is cleared relatively rapidly from the urine. This test cannot tell you about the drug most likely to interfere with an employee's job performance," Bearman contends. Richardson of the employers association said drug testing is an important safety tool and the courts have upheld its use. "Drug testing provides employers a means of deterring people who use illegal substances from entering the workplace and removing employees who may pose a danger to themselves and/or others," Richardson said. MARIJUANA LAWS 1996 California Compassionate Use Act: Allows patients and primary caregivers to cultivate, transport and use marijuana for medical conditions with a doctor's recommendation. 2003 SB 420: Permits medical-marijuana use to treat symptoms of AIDS, anorexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraines, seizures, severe nausea and other illnesses. The law requires the state to maintain a voluntary identification card program. Allows possession of no more than 8 ounces of dried marijuana. 2005 U.S. Supreme Court rules that patients in states with compassionate-use laws may still face criminal prosecution for transporting and using marijuana. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said the ruling does not overturn California law. Riverside County begins issuing medical-marijuana identification cards. San Bernardino County is expected to begin the identification-card program in January. 2006 California Supreme Court is expected to decide whether employees can be fired for off-duty use of medicinal marijuana. DECISION: The state Supreme Court agrees to decide limits for workers and employers. Source: Press-Enterprise (CA)Author: Kimberly Trone, The Press-EnterprisePublished: Friday, December 30, 2005Copyright: 2005 The Press-Enterprise CompanyContact: letters pe.comWebsite: http://www.pe.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Marijuana Policy Projecthttp://www.mpp.org/Justices To Review Medical Marijuana Firinghttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21345.shtmlEmployee Who Uses Marijuana May Be Firedhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread21095.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #43 posted by Dankhank on January 01, 2006 at 16:36:01 PT
If I get one ...
I'll apply to a couple of places that pee and see ...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #42 posted by Dankhank on January 01, 2006 at 16:32:02 PT
TokerOO
We're all good here ... the last real job I had I left when asked to pee. If a Marinol defence existed then I had no way to get a script, and I'm here to say it's apparently still a beech to get one now. I've been told that each state has a drug "Schedule" by my military doctor, who would probably give me a Marinol script if he could. There's enought goofin' with this body of mine.Many here are from states that have no MMJ. I favor the western view and see MMJ applicable to all types of conditions ad infinitum.Peace and Happy New Year to all ...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #41 posted by Toker00 on January 01, 2006 at 14:51:52 PT
Thanks Whig
Peace. Thank you. I agree. 2006 - The Year of Cannabis. Let's make it so.Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #40 posted by whig on January 01, 2006 at 11:06:29 PT
Piss tests
By the way, I won't take a piss test to get or keep a job. Any place that would try to invade my privacy to that extent is not a place I would want to work.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #39 posted by whig on January 01, 2006 at 11:04:07 PT
Toker00
I did not mean to insult your choice NOT to take a piss test. By all means, AVOIDANCE of conflict is better than having to lie. You are completely in the moral right as far as I am concerned, but my point was meant to illustrate that it is also not wrong to use deception and misdirection when it is necessary to protect ourselves from wrongful injury.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #38 posted by Toker00 on January 01, 2006 at 05:54:47 PT
Wait a minute...
How is refusing to apply where I know piss tests are given, suddenly a bad thing, and deception is not? How is this getting people killed? How is this lowering MY morality? And how is this affecting anyone but me? I don't recall insulting anyone about their choices. I was simply relating my refusal to take a piss test and wondering if anyone else shared this determination. Obviously I am a loner in this choice. I don't recall encouraging others to do this. I presented the downside of commitment. But I still refuse to take a piss test. Am I now morally bankrupt? Do you think less of me now because because I don't want take a piss test or "fool" the testers? By all means people. Use MARINOL or whatever defense you can to protect yourselves. Don't let my opinion influence you one way or the other. In fact, in can apparently cost you moral points, as well as financial ruin.Happy New Year anyway.Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #37 posted by whig on January 01, 2006 at 01:20:14 PT
Moral values
I believe in being honorable with those who are honorable to me, but it is permissible (and in fact morally required in some cases) to lie to someone who threatens unjust harm for telling the truth. Corrie ten Boom was morally justified to lie to the Nazis about the Jews her family was hiding, because protecting lives is a higher moral duty than telling the truth to murderers.If a robber demands to know where I keep my money, I am not obligated to tell him the location and combination of my safe. If a police officer wants to know whether and where I keep a stash of pot, I can lie because he is threatening me with harm if I tell him the truth.So I say, if a simple ruse like having a scrip for Marinol can protect you from prosecution for cannabis, it's preferable to the alternative. You don't have to be "TRUE to the plant" and admit you smoke, no harm is done by concealing it, and significant harm is done by revealing it to people that will persecute you for it.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #36 posted by Dankhank on December 31, 2005 at 14:05:40 PT
Hemp
EkimI agree that our govt's posiation is without foundation and flies in the face of reason.Unreasoned positions are based on greed ...
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #35 posted by FoM on December 31, 2005 at 12:30:22 PT
Life is Like a Tree
I think of how we journey thru life and look at a tree as an example. We start at the trunk and as we go up we have branches and those branches have more branches until we finally get to the leaf which is the destination. We decide which branch to follow and then the smaller branches and no branch is really a right way or a wrong way it's just a choice in the journey. I hope this makes sense.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #34 posted by Toker00 on December 31, 2005 at 12:10:12 PT
Dankhank
No, brother. That is not what I meant. I just mean we all have choices. I did it my way, you did it yours. I begrudge you not one iota. I admitted my choices cost me more than most would be willing to pay. But I still would make the same choices, because I came into my own place through all these struggles. My mettle has surely been tested. I was forced to become, on my own, what I needed from them. But I am satisfied inside with my decisions, like you are with yours. I admire anyone who adheres to a dicipline. Ok, amego? Sorry if anyone else was offended.Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #33 posted by ekim on December 31, 2005 at 11:55:17 PT
Dankhank glad you have done it your way
thank you. You are one of the most disciplined action figures to stand for change.
Good luck with your body, your mind is razor sharp.when i state be all you can be it just makes me red in the face that i went to nam-- and now china and 30 countries are growen and not a single acre of hemp is allowed to sprout here on the soil i and many in my family have tried to protect.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #32 posted by Dankhank on December 31, 2005 at 11:22:49 PT
Choices ... and Consequences
When I was interviewed in 1978 for appointment to Warrant Officer in the US Army I was asked what I knew about Marijuana.I told the panel that I knew of the US Army Canal Zone study of Marijuana in the 30's and what it found: recreational use has little or no effect on soldier's performance.I got that info from a playboy mag ... yes I read the articles ... talking about Laguardia, NYC mayor.Being THAT informed about Marijuana caused me to lose that appointment. Later the one member of the board that I worked with told me that other members of the board thought I smoked pot becase I knew of the US ARMY Canal Study, not that I was a very well-informed SSgt that the Army could use in a more responsible position.Know that the board in 1979 went better.We know of martyrs, soldiers, civilians, the innocent ... Where we each chose to inhabit is a most personal choice.My military retirement allows me to do what I do and is, perhaps the best thing I have done for my health. If the Army f**ked me up, I did it myself, or just have crappy genes I still have somm pretty good coverage.A surgical procedure billed at 10K, last month, cost me thirty-seven dollars over the yearly premium of $460.This month I had the same procedure, a bit more involved ... read a bit more expensive ... another 37 dollars.The Army started piss-testing when I had about ten years in. Coincidently those first years I made a rep and was promoted as fast as it could happen outside of a combat-zone Should I have stayed true to the plant, pissed hot and left the military?I'm not sure if that is what you meant, but it was never an issue with me. Activist I am, martyr not.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #31 posted by Max Flowers on December 31, 2005 at 10:23:36 PT
Toker00
I admire your steadfast mindset. You remind me of... me.It is totally unfair, maddening and absurd that people are encouraged to have three-martini lunches, while having three bong hits (and remaining totally in control of one's faculties, in dramatic contrast to alcohol use) is considered "criminal." That's wrong, and by now everyone who is conscious knows it.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #30 posted by Toker00 on December 31, 2005 at 07:18:44 PT
True to Plant, or Self?
Dankhank, you are absolutely right about the consequences of staying "True to the plant". I've lost jobs, family, but not my life. I understand what you are saying, completely. But if you commit to something, you have to be aware of the consequences. I could have had a lot easier, simpler life if I had been a conformist. Instead, I have had ample shares on consequences heaped on me by my employers and my family. I have done nothing that I consider wrong to either. With family, there IS love lost. With my employers, there IS creature comfort loss. It sounds almost incredible, but I still choose to "choose", over conforming or deceiving. (Not accusing you of doing either, just making a statement.) : ) I completely understand your more stealthy approach!Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW! 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #29 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 21:09:48 PT
Afterburner
I agree about the meth craze. I only see people totally burnt out that use Meth. The term burnt out hippie didn't come from any substance but Meth years ago. I was one of them years ago so I am speaking the truth. Cannabis doesn't do that to a person. 
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #28 posted by afterburner on December 30, 2005 at 21:03:37 PT
Happy New Year
Onward and upward. The Internet will chill the fake heat of recycled and dog-eared anti-cannabis propaganda. The meth craze and its paranoid violence will not silence another generation. We have come too far, seen too much truth, to be stopped. I have seen the faces of free men and women sharing God's gift without fear. These images are burned into my brain. They won't fade away.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #27 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 20:47:59 PT
afterburner
Good luck with your elections.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #26 posted by afterburner on December 30, 2005 at 20:42:45 PT
Speaking of Voting...
Canada goes to the polls on 23.January.2006 for a federal election. On our issue the choice is clear: Liberals -- phoney decrim which they have stalled for two previous sittings of Parliament and grudging minimal compliance with court rulings favouring medical cannabis; Conservatives -- would rescind decriminalization and increase punishments; New Democratic Party (NDP) -- in favour of medical cannabis and cannabis cafes. The choice is clear. Spread the word.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #25 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 19:43:22 PT
One More Music Comment
Direct TV has good musicians on. Right now John Mayer is playing and then Collective Soul then Bonnie Raitt, and Vertigo by U2. It's going to be a great stay at home New Years Eve for us.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #24 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 19:37:51 PT
I Know Something Else Too
It's not healthy to eat that yellow snow! LOL!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #23 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 19:35:52 PT
The Mind
oh yea, Frank knew all those years ago, and so did we
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #22 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 19:27:40 PT
Dankhank
Vanilla Fudge was only audio. It has to have video like this in the link. It's a concert and the year and date are in the url.neilyoung2005-11conan_video_1.wmv
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #21 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 19:23:53 PT
The Mind
That is right.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #20 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 19:19:00 PT
here ...
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/frank_zappa/whats_the_ugliest_part_of_your_body.html
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #19 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 19:17:41 PT
yes .........
I tried to watch a, I think, Vannila Fudge video and got only the audio, maybe it was supposed to do that.I still have the page uphey lady, et al ... get some Frank Zappa stuffLook for the song, "What's the ugliest part of your body?"
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #18 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 19:06:27 PT
Dankhank
I hope you find music and or videos you like. I downloaded one of the concerts from The Band and I have only listened to a little of it but it was good. I'll listen to it all later on.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #17 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 18:55:21 PT
Thanks ...
ABB, Allman Brothers Band ... yes ...first saw them in 1970 in Central City Park in Macon GA.will check em out ..
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #16 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 18:43:46 PT
Dankhank
You mentioned once that you like the Allman Brothers. From 5 pm to 9am eastern time you can download anything on this link. They stream during the day. I downloaded the McCartney Concert which was in Houston this past November and it's very good. I'm downloading a video right now about Jerry Garcia just to see what it might be. I think it will be open all weekend not just 5 to 9 though.http://tela.sugarmegs.org/sugaree/
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #15 posted by whig on December 30, 2005 at 18:12:42 PT
Dankhank
"If a prescript for Marinol works ... shall we use it?"Of course.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #14 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 18:08:27 PT
sharpshooting?
is it sharpshooting if I invite comments?Whatzup?If a prescript for Marinol works ... shall we use it?Or shall we stay "TRUE" to the plant and lose jobs, families, freedom and lives?Think you know MY choice ...
Choice
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #13 posted by whig on December 30, 2005 at 17:55:53 PT
Had Enough
I don't understand you.Let me ask you a couple questions. 1. Do you believe that people should obey the enactments of the government even when they disagree with them?2. Do you believe that if someone disregards such an enactment, that they should be honest and not attempt to conceal it?Also, I would point out that even if you choose to vote (as many other well-intentioned people do), not everybody agrees with your decision to do so. Some people may be apathetic, but they are probably not people who are likely to be reading or participating here. So those of us who ACTIVELY NON-VOTE aren't likely to be persuaded to reinvest our own authority in the state by imprecations to "Vote! Vote! Vote!"In my observation, politicians are FAR more afraid of people non-voting than people voting against them. Have you ever seen a campaign that encouraged an opponent's supporters to "stay home"? Of course not! This is a game, in which both sides are bought and paid for by the same interests. Heck, many corporations donate equally to both parties.A good argument CAN be made for participating in initiative and referenda, though I think as much good is done from the sidelines by encouraging people to simply exercise their freedom directly and not ask permission. Anyhow, it's a debate worth having, and I have NO DOUBT about the good intentions on both sides.But as for politicians, I always doubt their intentions, as I will anyone who seeks power, praise or privilege.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #12 posted by Had Enough on December 30, 2005 at 16:46:50 PT
Comment 11
Bullseye. Were you a sharpshooter in the past, if not you are now. :-)Happy new Year
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #11 posted by charmed quark on December 30, 2005 at 15:42:41 PT
Medical Users Don't Want to Lie
One of the motives for medical marijuana laws is so that users don't have to associate with the black market or lie about their medical neccessity. So using Marinol as an excuse for a failed drug test brings most users no happiness. BTW - in theory, Marinol use can be distinguished from whole cannabis use by looking for metabolites of cannabinoids not found in Marinol.New Jersey is in the process of considering a medical cannabis law. I hope they learn from the problems of other states and put in a section protecting medical users from drug testing.Happy New years!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #10 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 14:15:54 PT
joegames 
Thank you.Happy New Year to you.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #9 posted by joegames on December 30, 2005 at 14:12:28 PT:
Marinol - Protect Yourself
The person posting the Marinol strategy is a very astute individual.Yes, this is the protection. Spread the word. Have your primary care physician write a Marinol prescription, then the THC is AUTHORIZED IN THE URINALYSIS.Everyone taking Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta taking urinalysis test dirty for Methamphetamine but are not discriminated against as THE URINALYSIS COMPANY SENDS A NEGATIVE RESULT.The way out is the way in.Figure it out.Cannabis users are smart. Alcoholics are sloppy risk prone human beings.
Marinol - Play Their Game For Now
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 11:29:19 PT
Patrick 
Do as I say not as I do is a major irritant to me. If I tell someone not do do something then why should I be allowed to do it? It's a morally wrong thing with me.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #7 posted by Patrick on December 30, 2005 at 11:14:01 PT
Drug Testing & Hypocrisy
FoM I believe that is so true what you said about young people. I think I first understood what hypocrisy was when I was maybe 13 or even younger. I don’t recall the age exactly but I recall the lesson clearly. In my case, I related “hypocrisy” to members of my parents chosen religion and not to the government, country, or other entity. To this day I do not consider myself faithful to that particular brand of religion. So, do we really want our youth to learn the lesson of hypocrisy from their government? I hope not. For me that lesson reminds me of the thought behind our separation of church and state. Anything less than this separation of powers and we might as well go back to living in tents in the desert, trading camels, and shouting obscenities at the great Satan America. The government invading my medicine cabinet to dictate what I may ingest is way more power over my individual liberty than I want to give my Uncle Sam. It verges on some semblance of a government enforced religion (belief) that the state supersedes and individual’s right to consume the fruits of this earth. The whole Drug War is a constitutional violation of individual sovereignty over the state and yet they have us by the proverbial coconuts and they keep on squeezing tighter and tighter. That gospel hymn We Shall Overcome comes to mind about now.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #6 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 11:06:50 PT
Dankhank 
I know I have thought of it but I think they can tell the difference if they want to look closely. Maybe someone from a state with MMJ will help us with this issue.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #5 posted by Dankhank on December 30, 2005 at 10:58:12 PT
Marinol
is the answer ...We shouldn't have to do this, but this is self-defense ...When you get a doctor's reccomendation for Cannabis, get a prescription for Marinol, too.Those pills are expensive, but, I have seen a friend purchase only a small amount of an expensive presciption for other drugs.Buy five or ten pills to get the prescription bottle with your name on it for Marinol. The prescrip could be: take as needed ...Case closed, eh?Am I the only one who thought of this?Surely not.Other thoughts on this subject?
more truth
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #4 posted by FoM on December 30, 2005 at 10:35:57 PT
Drug Testing
If drug testing is suppose to be for safety why do they sell alcohol at concerts and sports events? At the Neil Young Concerts we went too people were tore up on Beer. One thing that has always bothered me is double standards. This is ok but it really isn't ok but this is never ok. They wonder why young people don't believe what the government says.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #3 posted by Had Enough on December 30, 2005 at 10:32:04 PT
Tax Dollars
"I had a good work record, good write-ups. I was in no danger of being fired, but after that (drug test) it was like I had the plague," Dixon said. "They took a person who worked every day -- a law-abiding person -- and turned me into a welfare case by taking away my job." Even more taxpayer dollars down the drain.Vote! Vote! Vote! The thing a politician cares most about is losing an election.
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #2 posted by Patrick on December 30, 2005 at 10:09:25 PT
Yep
"I had a good work record, good write-ups. I was in no danger of being fired, but after that (drug test) it was like I had the plague," Dixon said. "They took a person who worked every day -- a law-abiding person -- and turned me into a welfare case by taking away my job."Isn’t it a sad state of affairs when this happens to a hard working mom with teenagers to feed?I mean really. An expression I haven’t heard in sometime says “Think Globally Act Locally” In a community and a state that made her medicine (cannabis) legal she is now jobless because a (local) employer receives federal (global) dollars. Locally, what happened is a crime against her rights no question in my mind about it. Globally, (federally) she has committed the crime. The system has flaws and this is clearly one of them. By acting locally we fix our system everyday in so many ways that we practically take our whole process of government for granted. Please don’t. We probably should get real busy locally fixing a system that would take her job away in this manner and a system that in all probability may deny her welfare assistance to feed her minor children because she “uses illegal drugs”.Indeed, it’s obvious to me that the Federal Government is forcing its hand on state and local issues. That’s not true democracy now is it. It’s more akin to Caesar’s legions riding into town to mop up what Caesar doesn’t approve of. Old Rome not withstanding isn’t this a prime example of that mentality in the 21st century? DEA troops that run rampant on a local level in California and other states. Isn’t that enough proof for you silent ones to vote? Plenty enough of us voted locally in 96 to say hey, we are okay with cannabis way down here living life far below Caesar’s feet. So how’s it possible this force from afar mucking up the works down here? Oh, you say a lack of voice on our part?Prohibition and the Control Substances Act would be two of my many guesses for this flaw. But perhaps the idea of losing control or having no control over others makes the monster inside all of you uninformed enforcers of control even meaner? You desire a type of control that is not yours to have in the first place and yet you take it by force from the individual? Come on, 700,000 arrests last year for possession alone isn’t progress, its proof of this flaw in our system. That’s my rant for the day.Restore this woman’s livelihood immediately! Should be what is shouted on the Senate floor!
[ Post Comment ]


Comment #1 posted by Toker00 on December 30, 2005 at 10:02:21 PT
I love Cannabis.
"Drug testing provides employers a means of deterring people who use illegal substances from entering the workplace and removing employees who may pose a danger to themselves and/or others," Richardson said.No it doesn't. It provides Prohibitionists with a means to continue the War on Cannabis, while providing the independant players of Cannabis Prohibition with a Financial Incentive to keep testing and arresting us. Fascism. Pure and simple. PissTesting. A CEO and LEO Dream come True. Wage peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!
[ Post Comment ]


Post Comment