Colorado Pre-Employment Drug Testing – Pot Users Prohibited

Many companies in Colorado have drug free policies in place at their businesses. It only makes sense that they should also require pre-employment drug testing as well if they want to keep drug users away from their companies. Colorado is the marijuana capital of the United States, with more dispensaries for medical marijuana than any other state. According to a survey printed in The Denver Post, Colorado has “twice the number of medical marijuana patients per capita as California.” There are 20 medical use patients for every 1,000 residents of the state.

Although this doesn’t prove that anyone but those with documentation from their doctors stating that their medical conditions could benefit from the use of marijuana are getting pot from dispensaries, chances are pretty good that others besides medical-reason users are getting some of the goods. Even if they are not, millions of illegal marijuana plants have been removed from public lands in the state. Colorado’s elimination of plants on public lands “has more than tripled in the past five years,” according to the survey in The Denver Post. Between illegally grown pot and the possibility of getting it from medical users, caregivers, or others from dispensaries, it is an easy thing to get marijuana in Colorado.

Employers who do pre-employment drug screening are required to have their drug-free policy printed on their application or to inform job applicants of the policy at their first interview. This is good for both employers and pot smokers. Employers win by making their drug policy clear to the applicant and by letting the candidate know that drugs are not tolerated in the company. Job applicants win as well because they have the choice to withdraw their applications and search for a company to work for that is more lenient or even accepting of marijuana use.

Most employers who want to be sure that their employees are drug free probably do not think that a marijuana smoker is going to come into their business and cause a major disruption or shoot other employees. It is still within their rights to ban pot and all other drugs from use by their employees. After all, employment is by will and either party has the right to terminate it at any time. The employer has the right to keep the business free from drug users, even pot smokers, if that is his or her prerogative. Except for medical users, marijuana is still an illegal drug in Colorado.