Michigan Abandons Pre-Employment Cannabis Testing For Some State Jobs

Applicants seeking jobs with the state of Michigan will no longer be tested for cannabis before being hired. The law takes effect Oct. 1.

Although some state jobs, like law enforcement, healthcare and positions that require operating heavy machinery, will still require pre-employment drug testing.

The Michigan Civil Service Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to abandon pre-employment drug testing for cannabis. According to Commission Chair Jase Bolger, recreational marijuana use outside the workplace will be treated like alcohol use, which makes sense writes News 10.

“That’s why I drew the comparison of, if somebody overindulges in alcohol on Friday night, they shouldn’t do it,” Bolger said. “I don’t think that they should be getting high on Friday night, but Monday morning, when they come to work, they’re likely not under the influence of either, so we’re going to treat them the same.”

This change also applies to those who were once denied a job because of a positive cannabis test. They can now re-apply now without having to wait three years as was the case previously.

Remaining Concerns

Even though the vote was unanimous, some commissioners, like Jeff Steffel, still have concerns.

“I don’t care if someone uses marijuana. I don’t care about many of the social issues out there; live and let live,” Steffel said. “I do care about performance of state government, and I would like us to continue testing for marijuana, because in three or four years if we find there’s a problem, we can make changes.”

The news of dropping the pre-employment cannabis testing comes on the heels of other marijuana-related news involving a Michigan edibles producer who lost his licensed and was fined $100k after a child positioning incident.

Even though the state legalized recreational cannabis nearly five years ago, when it comes to regulating the industry, it seems there are still many unresolved issues.

Want to learn more about cannabis testing and employment as well as other thorny issues that legal weed states are dealing with? Join us at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, in Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices go up and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

Related links:

Detroit Marijuana Entrepreneurs: Another Round Of Applications For Retail Licenses Starts Soon

A Weed Tourist's Guide To Michigan: Cannabis Laws And Best Things To Do While High 

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