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fired for being a pot head I live in a state that has been marijuana-friendly for quite some time. Oregon led the fight to legalize it for medicinal purposes, and it was no surprise when it became available for everyday consumption. Oregonians have always loved their weed - except, I guess, for those that remain staunchly against it. I’m not sure I understand why, but they’re probably the same people who drink to excess, risk lives driving home drunk, and destroy their bodies with impunity because it is more socially acceptable to do so with a beer in your hand, instead of a bong. Being an alcoholic does not show up on a drug test, but smoking a single hit of marijuana several days before the test can. Both are legal, only one is still demonized. This could be a whole post by itself but I’ll move on. The job was temp-to-hire, the idea being that I would work for the company for three months before officially being hired on as an employee. I’m sure most of you are familiar with how this works, even if you’ve never done it yourself. During my three months - the equivalent of a trial period - I earned two wage increases, two promotions and a slew of certifications. The company spent time and energy on me. They seemed to be cultivating a loyal employee, and it was working. I showed up for my shift on time, didn’t call in sick, got along well with my fellow employees and took pride in doing what I was being paid to do. I tried not to just show up, clock in, make it through the night, then clock out and race home. Paycheck collectors have always seemed to lead miserable lives to me, so I’ve done everything I could to avoid being one. Perhaps it is not wise to put more of myself into jobs than I should, but I take too much pride in who I am and what I do, not to. I might get fired from a place because I failed a drug test, or even got in an argument with the wrong person, but never because I didn’t do a good enough job. I knew, going into this whole thing, that the company I was working for had zero tolerance for people who smoked marijuana. In fact, I purchased synthetic urine and passed a drug screen through the temp agency, in order to get my foot in the door. I did this knowing that after three months I would need to do it again. If / when they decided to hire me, there would be another background check and drug screen before I’d be offered a position. For the last three months I was aware of the impending drug test, but did not stop or even slow my use of marijuana. I thought that I would just purchase some more synthetic urine, but when a fellow employee mentioned they’d asked him to do a mouth swab test instead, I felt confident I would be okay. Yes, I smoke every single day, multiple times a day, but I had this notion that this particular kind of test did not detect marijuana very easily. I can’t rightly say where this idea came from, just that it led me to make zero preparations for the day I gave my sample. I’d hidden the fact that I smoked marijuana so I could get my foot in the door, but hadn’t put any further effort into the deception. Perhaps I should have, if I wanted to keep the job. My certainty was misplaced, and I tested positive for marijuana. I’ve taken a lot of these drug screens, but never before did I receive a phone call from the lab. They called to inform me that I had tested positive for THC and wanted to ask a few questions. Mainly they wanted me to admit that I had smoked or consumed it, which I did without hesitation. When asked how long it had been since I last smoked, I lied and gave a number of days much greater than the truth. I also fibbed and told the person on the phone that I regularly take products that contain CBD, which is derived from hemp. I knew it wouldn’t make a difference, especially after admitting I’d smoked marijuana recreationally. Did I have a medical need, or a prescription? the guy on the phone wanted to know. I just told him that it was legal in Oregon, and left it at that. There was no offer of probation, or the chance to even explain myself. No second chance to swab or piss clean, just a quick and curt dismissal. I’d been operating under the false impression that I was valued and appreciated, but I was just expendable. One bit of irony is that they have notes and postings all over the place asking for ideas and suggestions on how to retain employees. During my three months, I saw a ton of new people come and go, and know that taking the time to train people, only to have them quit not long after, costs a company a great deal of money. They must have their reasons for hating on marijuana users so much, and I’m guessing it has something to do with insurance rates. They offered no detailed explanation, just told me my assignment was over through my contact at the employment agency. What’s more, when I asked how I might retrieve some personal items from my locker, and the refrigerator in the employee break room, i was given instructions that bordered on offensive. It had to be during the day, I had to also tell the temp agency of my intent, I had to park in the front and use the front door, and I had to ask for a very specific person. It was like they thought I was going to go off on them or something. I just said to hell with it, they can keep my kombucha and my baseball hat. I will continue to smoke marijuana, so I will also continue to seek employment at a business that does not care about this fact. That seriously limits my possibilities, I know, but I cannot bring myself to quit doing something that is 1) legal 2) makes me feel so very good. Nobody is asking invasive questions, or making people take tests / screens involving alcohol use, yet it is far more dangerous and damaging. I simply won’t pander to a workforce that is so ignorant and bullheaded it cannot see things are backwards, and at the very least, unfair. Come up with tests that show how much THC is in my system, or how long ago I smoked, and then you can get the answer to the question you’re really asking, which is; are you smoking marijuana while at work? It’s nobody’s business if I drink a gallon of vodka, smoke an eighth of marijuana, or do a few lines of cocaine after work. As long as I show up for my shift on time, and do my job safely and efficiently, my personal life should never factor into my employment. That is unfair and discriminatory. |
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Agree with you 100%. And I would say to anyone who disagrees, and thinks it’s s fine for employers to drug test when there has been no cause for individualized suspiscion, to ask: Why every member of Congress and the President are not therefore required to piss, and be summarily fired, if they are 'using'?? Forget what is in the piss of many CEO's and Judges and the like .. Nope .. only working men and women have to have their Life judged in such a way .. not our 'betters' ... sounds fair, right??
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