Marijuana

If you have been consuming pot or marijuana in any form, know that it can affect your job eligibility. Although the medical use of the weed is legal in 29 American states and 9 states have permitted the use for the purpose of recreation, you can still find it hard to apply for and get a job. Most company owners now screen applicants carefully and may even expect that they pass a drug test to qualify for a posting in their organization.

You Could be Taking Marijuana for a Medical Problem

Check out this feature on WebMD and you will learn about the different health issues for which your doctor may prescribe the drug. Here are some of the problems:

  • Crohn’s Disease which is an inflammatory condition of the digestive tract that causes intense pain
  • Side effects of nausea from chemotherapy given for treating cancer
  • Lack of appetite and weight loss resulting from long-term conditions like HIV and nerve pain
  • Multiple sclerosis or spasms in the muscles
  • Seizures
  • Glaucoma
  • Migraines

If you have any of these medical disorders and you live in a state where marijuana is legal, your doctor may write you a prescription for getting medicines that contain THC as the main ingredient in the drug. You’ll receive a marijuana card that will allow you to buy the medicines you need from a certified medicine store.

While ingesting the weed orally may take longer to take effect, you can expect that the results will last you for an extended time. In place of the medicine, you can also take marijuana by smoking it rolled into a cigarette or cigar, vaping, or through a water pipe or bong as it is also called. The effects of the drug will hit your brain in about 30 minutes and may ease off gradually in the next 1 to 4 hours. Of course, if you want to rid your body of the effects within a short time, there are various products available on websites like Smoker’s Corner that can flush out the drug quickly. These capsules work by inducing urination that eliminates the toxic effects and all traces from your system making it impossible for drug tests to detect their presence.

Taking Medical Marijuana Can Affect Your Job Eligibility

Even though you can take the drug legally as a medicine, it could still affect your job eligibility. Managers considering applications for a posting may choose to reject you on the premise that being on the drug can affect your capabilities and judgment because of which you cannot perform properly on the job. Keep in mind that the law allows company owners to use their discretion when hiring users to work for them.

Accordingly, at the time of evaluating candidates for a job, it is becoming increasingly common for managers to ask you to go through a drug test.

Types of Drug Tests and How They Work

Companies assessing candidates for job eligibility can choose any tests conducted on samples that you’ll give. The Society for Human Resource Management gives you an idea of how the tests are conducted. Here’s an overview:

  • Saliva Testing: A fairly accurate test, your saliva can reveal if you have been using cannabinoids within a time frame of 4 hours to 7 days.
  • Blood Testing: The probability that you have to give a blood sample is extremely rare since this is an invasive test. However, know that blood is the best indicator of your usage. If you have consumed marijuana, the test will show a positive within 4 hours to 12 hours. Heavy users can expect that the test may affect your job eligibility even several days after your last dose.
  • Urine Testing: You will be asked to give a sample on site where it will be tested for levels of THC. Most companies opt for this test that can reveal your last usage from 3 days to 77 days.

Yes, You Can Try Organic Cleansing Options…But!

In recent times, many manufacturers have developed pills, capsules, and liquids that claim to flush out all traces of the drug through urination so that you can pass the mandatory tests and prove your job eligibility. But like the folks at Vice advise, before choosing any of the products, you need to be aware that not all of them are really effective. And, because they act as diuretics to make you use the bathroom frequently, you may want to use them with care. Above all, the capsules and liquids you use only work to mask your usage for about 5 hours. If you’re looking for solutions that can actually remove the marijuana from your bloodstream, the best thing to do is quit completely and check with your medical practitioner for recommendations.

Here’s another factor to keep in mind. Companies may conduct surprise drug tests from time to time to ensure that you’re clean. While you may be able to detox your body in preparation for the test given enough time, you may not be able to pass the test without fair warning.

What If You Need the Drug for Medical Reasons?

If you have serious medical issues and you absolutely must use the marijuana to be able to function properly, a responsible step to take would be to apply for jobs where you’re unlikely to be a danger to yourself or your coworkers. Because marijuana can have serious effects on your mental status, it is unfair to risk hurting other people. Further, companies are wary of hazardous working conditions and potential lawsuits that can arise from someone getting hurt. For this reason as explained by this article on Vox, employers may not want to hire a person who can endanger the business with their drug usage.

If you’re a marijuana user, you may find that it affects your career prospects and limits the kind of jobs you can safely take. For instance, consider positions as waiting tables, manager where you won’t do any hands-on tasks, or in independent consultancy. You can also consider working from home where you can manage your illness in a safe environment.

As a job applicant with medical conditions that require you to use opiates and marijuana-based medicines, choose your career options carefully and you should be able to earn a living and lead a normal life.