There is significant variation in marijuana laws throughout the United States. Different states have different stances on medical marijuana, marijuana in the workplace, decriminalization versus full legalization, and more. Being informed about the differences in these laws is important.
There are five main approaches to marijuana legalization. A large portion of states have fully legalized marijuana. In fact, over half of the population of the United States resides in states with legal recreational marijuana. Some states permit medical marijuana and have decriminalized recreational marijuana, others have decriminalized medical and recreational marijuana, and some states permit medical marijuana only, without decriminalization. Finally, four states have declared marijuana fully illegal.
However, the issue becomes further complex because some cities within fully illegal states are choosing to decriminalize marijuana. This means that possession of marijuana is treated like a minor traffic violation, rather than a criminal offense.
There are also different methods when it comes to marijuana drug testing. Cannabis use is common in the workplace, with nearly half of marijuana users in legalized states admitting to using marijuana before or at work. Roughly 48% of employers do not test for cannabis in the pre-hire process. In some cities and states, it is illegal to do pre-employment tests for marijuana.
It is likely that new approaches to marijuana will surface as individuals and employers navigate changing contexts. Keeping an eye out for new developments will be key moving forward.
Source: US Drug Test Centers
