Impact on Businesses

Link	Article Date	Tags	Body
Nikki Fried’s Connections to New Cannabis Company Raise Questions [1]	03/13/2021	Nikki Fried [2], Business [3]	While Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried was taking steps to influence Florida cannabis policy and implement rules that regulate the cultivation of hemp, her fiancee’, Jake Bergmann, created a web of companies with people and organizations that have a professional interest in the cannabis and the hemp industry.
Home delivery a big sales driver for Florida medical marijuana companies [4]	03/10/2018	Business [3], FakeMedicine [5]	Does this sound like medicine? Still, the Florida trend is an indication that home delivery options are likely to prove a lucrative field in the future for cannabis retailers – as long as their local jurisdictions allow for it.
"Positive" urine testing for Cannabis is associated with increased risk of traffic crashes [6]	01/08/2018	Research [7], car crashes [8], drug testing [9]	bstract Although recent Cannabis use is widely reported to be associated with drug-related traffic accidents, the evidence that Cannabis users show an increased risk of being involved in road crashes is still not unequivocally proved. The purpose of the present work is to provide an objective assessment of this hypothesis, by comparing the frequency of occurrence of positive urine analyses in drivers involved in traffic accidents (n = 1406) with that observed in a control population undergoing mandatory urine drug testing (n = 1953). Urine analyses for drugs of abuse were performed by screening immunometric techniques followed by confirmation with UHPLC-QQQ MS, adopting a cut-off concentration for THC-COOH of 15 ng/mL. A case was classified as "positive" when a driver admitted to hospital for road traffic injuries showed urine concentrations of THC-COOH higher than the cut-off. All samples showing positive results for any other controlled drug in urine or blood alcohol concentrations >0.5 mg/mL were excluded from the study. Subjects positive to THC-COOH, and negative to all the other tested substances were 116 in Group 1 (8.2%) and 16 in Group 2 (0.8%). Subjects resulting negative to any tested substances were 1290 in Group 1 and 1937 in Group 2. The frequency of THC-COOH detection in the two groups was compared by using the "chi square" test, which resulted = 119.57, i.e. highly significant (P <<< 0.01). The Odds Ratio of the two groups was =10.88, showing a high degree of association between the presence of THC-COOH in urine and the occurrence of traffic accidents (P < 0.0001). The presented data, proving a high degree of association between Cannabis use and the occurrence of traffic accidents with injuries of the driver, support the use of urine testing for Cannabis in the procedures for the issuing of the driving licence, particularly in the case of subjects formerly or presently using Cannabis. This finding looks even more relevant in the present times, because of the increasing success of the policies of legalization of Cannabis for medical and non-medical purposes.
Risk factors for non-fatal occupational injuries among construction workers: A case-control study. [10]	11/16/2017	workplace [11], Employees [12]	CONCLUSION: Cannabis abuse can increase injury severity and prolong workdays lost. Drug testing is recommended for at-risk construction workers with inadequate safety measures.
Kentucky judge dismisses challenge of medical marijuana ban [13]	09/26/2017	Ban [14], workplace [11], drug free workplace [15]	Kentucky's ban on medical marijuana has survived an initial test in court, with a judge ruling Wednesday that the state has a good reason to "curtail citizens' possession of a narcotic, hallucinogenic drug." Kentucky's ban on medical marijuana has survived an initial test in court, with a judge ruling Wednesday that the state has a good reason to "curtail citizens' possession of a narcotic, hallucinogenic drug."
Clearing the Smoke: Workplace Safety Issues Clouded by Medical Marijuana [16]	08/21/2017	drug free workplace [15], construction [17], workplace [11], Business [3], Employees [12], OSHA [18]	Marijuana’s Negative Effects Construction workers must have full use of their skills and faculties while performing their jobs. Medical marijuana may have positive medical benefits, but there are also well-documented negative effects. Some negative effects to the central nervous system include changes in sensory perception, altered thought formation and expression, short-term memory problems, and impaired thinking and learning. Negative physical effects include impaired motor performance, loss of balance and coordination, decreased attentiveness and alertness, prolonged response time to stimuli and danger, decreased ability to judge distance and space, and impaired ability to perform complex tasks.
SAM-What Employers and Businesses Should Know about Marijuana [19]	03/31/2017	SAM [20], Employer [21], Business [3]	Marijuana legalization also involves significant downsides to existing businesses. As marijuana use has increased in states that have legalized its use, so has use by employees, both on and off the job. Large businesses in Colorado now state that after legalization they have had to hire out-of-state residents in order to find employees that can pass a pre-employment drug screen.
Workplace cannabis: What employers and employees need to know [22]	02/01/2017	workplace [11], Employer [21]	“There is some misinterpretation that employers can’t fire employees now that [cannabis is] legal, but employers can still enforce their policies as there is nothing in the law that says they have to accommodate that,” said Robin Largent, partner at Carothers Disante & Freudenberger LLP in Sacramento. However, employers who do not have a well-documented cannabis policy could expose themselves to allegations of discrimination. “I advise clients to modify their policy if necessary to make clear it’s illegal, giving employees clear expectations,” Daniel said.
The AAA Position: Marijuana’s Effect on Driving [23]	10/07/2016	AAA [24], postition statement [25], statement [26], driving [27], drugged driving [28], Impairment [29], car crashes [8], Fatalities [30], drug testing [9]	The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety analyzed cannabis use by drivers in one of those states, Washington, and found that the proportion of drivers involved in fatal crashes who had recently used marijuana more than doubled after Washington legalized the drug for recreational use. In addition, there’s currently no easy way to test whether a driver is impaired by marijuana: Unlike alcohol, it can’t be determined by breath or blood tests.
Testing Drivers for Evidence of Marijuana Use is Difficult [31]	02/11/2016	driving [27], drugged driving [28], drug testing [9]	“It’s really difficult to document drugged driving in a relevant way, [because of] the simple fact that THC is fat soluble,” said Margaret Haney, a neurobiologist at Columbia University. “That makes it absorbed in a very different way and much more difficult to relate behavior to, say, [blood] levels of THC or develop a breathalyzer.”
Trends in Marijuana Legalization: A Wake-Up Call for Employers [32]	02/01/2016	Employer [21], Employees [12], drug free workplace [15]	Acceptance of employee marijuana use means increased accidents and injuries, loss of workplace productivity, increased workers' compensation claims, and employee turnover, to name a few problems (National Institutes of Health). These losses have real dollar value that impacts small-business owners considerably. Ultimately, the most costly battles will be fought in the courts at the employers' expense. Weakening or removing employers' rights for a safe and drug free workplace ultimately threatens all of us.
Work Wanted: Employers planning to ban marijuana users from being hired at all despite legalization push [33]	01/23/2016	Employer [21], drug free workplace [15], Business [3]	According to the Institute for a Drug Free Workplace, the U.S. Department of Justice reports that 50 percent of all on-the-job accidents and up to 40 percent of employee theft is due to drug abuse. The Institute says that drug-abusing employees are absent from work ten times more frequently than their non-using peers, and the turnover rate is 30 percent higher than for those employees who do not engage in abuse of illicit drugs. Between safety concerns and cost savings, companies are very invested in keeping pot users out of the workplace. Something to think about if Florida ever legalizes marijuana: getting fired is a real buzz kill.
Employers Grapple with Heroin Epidemic [34]	09/02/2015	Employer [21], drug testing [9], drug free workplace [15]	An employer should have a written drug testing policy that includes: Descriptions of the types of tests that employees can expect to be asked to take. Descriptions of the testing procedures. The disciplinary consequences for violating the drug testing policy.
Legalization of Marijuana- Impact Report [35]	09/01/2015	Colorado [36], Potency [37], youth usage [38], vehicle [39], social costs [40], Business [3]	See report for details, graphs, data.
Medical marijuana: A growing issue for employers in Workers’ Compensation [41]	07/02/2015	Employer [21], workman's comp [42]	Currently, there are several factors hindering adoption: 1. Illegal at federal level. 2. No FDA approval. Medical marijuana is not viewed as safe or effective by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). 3. Lack of proof of efficacy. 4. Evidence-based guidelines. 5. Effect on work performance. 6. Drug-free workplace programs.
Colorado Supreme Court Provides a Moment of Sanity on Marijuana [43]	06/30/2015	Colorado [36], Employer [21], Business [3], supreme court [44]	In a unanimous (6-0) decision on June 15, 2015 in Coats v. Dish Network, the Colorado Supreme Court, ruled that an employer could fire an employee for testing positive for marijuana in that state despite the legality of both medical and recreational marijuana, even if the marijuana use were based on a physician’s recommendation and even if the marijuana use were limited to nonworking hours away from the workplace. The Colorado state marijuana laws are in conflict with the federal law, under which marijuana is an illicit substance and in this Supreme Court ruling, marijuana use was therefore considered “illegal.”
Saying "No" to Legal Marijuana? [45]	06/04/2015	video [46], madras [47], youth [48], Business [3], evidence [49]	Bertha Madras speak on the evidence that pot is not a medicine.
Colo. company says pot pushed them out of state [50]	04/24/2015	Business [3], Employees [12], Colorado-0 [51], Colorado [36]
Colo. company says pot pushed them out of state [50]	04/23/2015	Employer [21], Moving [52]	DENVER – Little Spider Creations [53] had been making scary creations in Denver for 24 years, but the owner of the company says legalizing recreational marijuana changed everything. He recently moved his company to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Marijuana showed up in 20% more employee drug tests the first year marijuana was legalized/ Quest Diagnosis
What will Legal Marijuana Cost Employers? [54]	04/18/2015	drug free workplace [15], Business [3], Employer [21]
What level of THC in blood causes driving impairment? [55]	04/10/2015	driving [27], impaired [56], drug testing [9]	Let us provide a rational answer to a nonsensical question. It is a nonsensical question because blood is never impaired by THC. Never. Alcohol doesn’t impair blood either. These drugs only impair the brain, not the blood.
Appeals court: Medical pot users can get unemployment [57]	10/24/2014	unemployment [58], Business [3], lawyer [59]
Harris Rosen and Amendment 2 - Central Florida Spotlight [60]	10/22/2014	Rosen [61], Amendment 2 [62], Business [3], news video clip [63], Haridopolos [64]
Adam Putnam and Florida Chamber Take Aim at Amendment 2 [65]	10/02/2014	amendment [66], putman [67], agriculture [68], Business [3], tourism [69]
Medical marijuana: 3 things employers need to know [70]	09/30/2014	workplace [11], Business [3]
Workforce Drug Test Positivity Rate Increases for the First Time in 10 Years, Driven by Marijuana and Amphetamines, Finds Quest [71]	09/30/2014	workplace [11], Business [3], drug testing [9]
Stoners on the job: Nearly 10% of Americans went to work high [72]	09/18/2014	video [46], workplace [11], Business [3]
Marijuana Use For Alleged Depression and Anxiety Can Still Get You Fired In Florida [73]	09/15/2014	Business [3], depression [74], anxiety [75]
Employers grapple with possibility of legal medical marijuana [76]	09/12/2014	Business [3], Employer [21], drug free workplace [15]
Workers' Comp Must Cover Medical Marijuana [77]	09/05/2014	Business [3], workman's comp [42], insurance [78], Medical [79]
Workers' Comp Must Cover Medical Marijuana [77]	09/05/2014	Business [3], workplace [11], drug testing [9], insurance [78]	Is this what Floridians want?
Marijuana and the Workplace [80]	08/18/2014	workplace [11], Business [3], Employer [21]	The Marijuana Report
2nd lawsuit claims unfair San Diego pot laws will cause undue pollution [81]	08/15/2014	Business [3], Environment [82], zoning [83]
Medical Marijuana User Sues Company That Fired Her [84]	08/08/2014	Business [3], Employer [21]
At Colorado’s borders, a dividing line over marijuana [85]	07/30/2014	Colorado-0 [51], Business [3]	We have to pay overtime, pay the prosecutor, pay to incarcerate them, pay for their defense if they’re indigent. Colorado’s taxing it, but everybody else is paying the price.”
Institute for a Drug-Free Workplace [86]	07/26/2014	drug free workplace [15], workplace [11], Employees [12], Business [3]	The impact of employee marijuana use is seen in the workplace in lower productivity, increased workplace accidents and injuries, increased absenteeism, and lower morale. This can and does seriously impact the bottom line.
This July 4th party has “lots of free bud” and a marijuana-filled piñata [87]	06/29/2014	Business [3], addiction [88]	“I can share my personal weed with somebody, no problem,” said Taijeron. “But we can’t sell it or exchange money for marijuana.”
Drug-free workplace and medical marijuana [89]	06/13/2014	drug free workplace [15], workplace [11], insurance [78], legalization [90]	THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SMOKED POT AND WHAT THEY (PRO-POT ADVOCATES) CALL "MEDICAL" MARIJUANA. High at work .. Last month, a state judge directed an employer and insurer to reimburse an injured worker for medical marijuana prescribed to relieve pain resulting from a lower back injury.
Marijuana Is Now Big Business [91]	06/05/2014	Business [3], workplace [11], Colorado-0 [51]
John Morgan on Charlotte’s Web: ‘It’s the beginning of the beginning’ [92]	05/28/2014	follow the money [93], insurance [78], Business [3], drug free workplace [15]	John Morgan and other attorneys will be ready to represent patients that may be denied adequate access to medical pot. Drug Free Workplaces- Beware!

More Articles [94]

Links
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[2] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/nikki-fried
[3] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/business
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[5] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/fakemedicine
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29310049
[7] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/research
[8] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/car%2A
[9] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/drug-testing
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29132257
[11] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/workplace
[12] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/employees
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[15] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/drug-free-workplace
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[29] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/impairment
[30] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/fatalities
[31] https://ncadd.org/blogs/in-the-news/testing-drivers-for-evidence-of-marijuana-use-is-difficult
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[56] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/impaired
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[58] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/unemployment
[59] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/lawyer
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[69] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/tourism
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[75] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/anxiety
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[90] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/legalization
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[93] http://www.rethinkpot.org/tags/follow-money
[94] http://www.rethinkpot.org/Impact%20on%20Businesses

If you think legalizing marijuana won't affect you... Think Again.