Obama And Marijuana

Last year, the new U.S. president Obama withdrew detectives Justice Ministry, which Bush incited to licensed dealers marijuana. Now the law enforcers do not touch or sellers, or ordinary  citizens, smoking “grass” for medical purposes. As the federal Rules of marijuana is still illegal, but it is little touches: the states where it is allowed to be treated, with each passing month more and more.
Legalization of marijuana as medicine – a new trouble for employers and HR-directors. The courts still recognize the companies for the right to dismiss for smoking the drug, but lawyers had advised not to hurry with this and to compromise. And workers are looking for new clues that allow slaughter can not, without looking at the boss.

Registers and smoke

Although in reality it all started in 1996, when the treatment marijuana allowed California. Americans for a long time, however, lagged behind the European countries – Austria, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and even from neighboring Canada. But in recent years, states one after the other, allow the drug treatment. They are already 14, from Alaska to Hawaii, and a similar number are discussing similar laws.

State of Rhode Island this year will open a specialized non-profit center, where the marijuana will be grown and sold to patients. A couple of weeks ago, the law on controlled drug use took legislators of New Jersey. Act fairly strict: for example, indications for treatment of serious illnesses such as limited HIV / AIDS, cancer or arthritis. Governor Jon Corzine did not want to take the example of California and some other states where cannabis prescribed under stress or panic attacks. Patients receiving marijuana is prohibited to drive vehicles and heavy machinery, smoke transport, public places, etc.

Accurate estimates of how many people use marijuana for medical purposes, no, but in the long run it a few million, no less. In 2007, the United States about 300 000 people have registered to be allowed to smoke cannabis, and their number is growing rapidly. In Colorado in September 2009 there were about 17 000 registered patients, but by December the application to the local Ministry of Health has already filed about 30 000 people, and every day hundreds more are added.

All kinds of professionals, from nurses to stockbrokers, smoking marijuana at home and at work to get rid of pain, nausea, inflammation, loss of appetite and other symptoms of chronic diseases. According to patients, the euphoria of a drug they do not matter.

Colorado SURPRISE

Employers from the beginning did not like the new legislation, and they are often fired employees for traces of the drug in the blood. Suppose the transport situation will become clear: in October, the Federal Department of Transportation banned the treatment marijuana drivers, pilots, captains of ships, etc. But how, for example, a mechanic, who drove to the customer to repair the generator, but got confused in his mind and triggered an accident? After all, if the employer knew that the employee is using, then you would pay the company already.

So far, the courts were on the side of the business. In Washington last year, the Court recognized the right of the employer not to hire the candidate, failed a test for drugs, though he and smoked for medicinal purposes. In Montana, the judge explained that even if the law permits, and use drugs, then the employer is not obliged to provide for this room. California court in 2008 allowed the company Ragingwire Telecomm dismiss the employee, not tested.

But in Colorado for marijuana users found a good formal hook: Local law prohibits firing workers for lawful activities outside of working hours, and treated hemp there is legal (the law takes to protect ordinary smokers). So far, no case had not gone to trial, but employers are really agitated. The local association of entrepreneurs receive several calls from concerned leaders every day.

Council lawyers before the trial and not to bring: for example, offer the employee leave at the time of treatment. But if there are tens of thousands, all agree. Another solution – carefully prescribe in job descriptions and internal regulation of the ban on the use of drugs not approved by federal or local laws. Just in case.

EACH – according to his needs

Proponents of drug treatment in the meantime think hard how to win over employers to their side. Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and author of “Marijuana: the forbidden medicine” Lester Grinspoon proves that marijuana is cheaper than other drugs against the same disease, which means that it will help save on insurance of employees (although serious studies on this subject was not).

California Organization of Harborside Health Center, distributing marijuana for medical purposes, issues, and their employees on each shift gram. It’s cheaper, management believes: before they had to spend several hundred dollars a week for treatment, is now sufficient $ 40-50.

There are, however, the problem: Federal law prohibits marijuana, so the office to monitor drugs and food products (FDA) has not approved and does not intend to endorse it as a medicine. And that means, and to prescribe it impossible (as a rule, the physician gives the patient a written recommendation, with which he buys and drugs), and insurers to reimburse employees the cost of hemp refuse.

But the excitement is growing, but because there is the ground for fraud and deception. For example, in Los Angeles working intermediary organizations – GE Medical Billing (no relation to the corporation GE), – which supposedly helps employers to dislodge from the insurers money on marijuana. The company even claims that she managed to persuade such expenses largest operators of the insurance market, such as Aetna and Cigna.

But they deny: Cigna, for example, cover only the purchase of Marinol, which cancer patients treated with nausea during chemotherapy. This drug contains a synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol: a component of cannabis and single cannabinoids, allowed the treatment by federal authorities in the U.S. (although in Russia, for example, is banned and he was).

HEMP ON GUARD BUDGET

Grinspun still believes that marijuana – good business for employers and insurers, and it is they, rather than libertarian Ron Paul, should seek its legalization and to put pressure on FDA. The professor is among like-minded people’s representatives. In California, seriously discussing the full legalization of marijuana, now we have to figure out just how to impose its tax.

Member of the Legislative Assembly Tom Ammianus, once offered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to kiss his ass, believes that California can capitalize on this to $ 1.4 billion per year. He wants all adult citizens could buy up to 1 ounce of the drug. After Schwarzenegger’s law might not pass, but activists want to hold a referendum on this topic.

Similar measures are being discussed in Washington (where marijuana for treatment has already been solved). Deputy Mary Pikerson thought it would be great to sell “grass” in the wine benches, levying a tax of 15%. It calculated that the tax revenue from hemp can be compared with “alcohol” state salaries – about $ 300 million per year.

Paranoia citizens it is time to realize that all this is not just. With last year’s indulgences president – is no accident that one of the other outlines of this plan of Obama’s rescue of Medicine and the National budget revenue (not to mention agriculture and their own rating). Let mused: When Obama talks about creating millions of jobs in “green” energy, which is working and what renewable energy he has in mind?

It remains only to negotiate with employers for whom the right to dismiss for drugs – still “sacred”. Although, perhaps, to negotiate and do not have: a society under the leadership of the new leaders of itself establish the correct order. Tax revenue from trading marijuana will get out of the crisis, the official unemployment rate falls. Notes on employment discrimination against consumers of cannabis will fill the front pages of national newspapers, on HR, exploring the traces of the drug in the blood, will look with disdain, and general director, the Puritans would not shake hands. And legal conflicts of the early twentieth century will cause except that surprising.