Today, Gary Edwards, President of ERS Antenna and Executive Recruiting Service in Goodrich, Michigan will discuss medical marijuana and what it means for the workplace.

Gary says that medical marijuana is here to stay so employers (and employees) will need to get familiar with rules and regulation related to it, which is confusing because it seems there are new rules and regulations being released constantly. Gary says that medical marijuana is here to stay because it has been proven to have medicinal effects for various types of people (trauma patients, those with brain disorders, people with Parkinson’s, etc) while at the same time producing little to no side effect.

Gary says that one effect medical marijuana will have on the economy is reducing the number of available workers for jobs where passing a drug test is a requirement, especially for the defense industry or jobs that require a security clearance. Another area of the economy that will be affected is the housing market, for reasons such as attracting those who would want to move to a state where marijuana is legal or repelling those who would not. Gary believes in the end medical marijuana will have an overall positive effect after the laws are fully established and workplace policies are better developed.

Key Quotes
• Gary says that medical marijuana is here to stay because it has been proven to have medicinal effects for various types of people (trauma patients, those with brain disorders, people with Parkinson’s, etc) while at the same time producing little to no side effect.

• Job seekers who live in states where marijuana is available for medical or recreational uses will need to be knowledgeable of the requirements for the employers they are looking to get hired. If an employer requires a job seeker to pass a drug test prior to being hired, the job seeker will need to take that into account before using marijuana in such states.