Business owners would you hire someone who has a prescription for medical marijuana?

magicbird

To add to what Banali said: If you're talking about the U. S., business owners who employ 20 people or more are required to purchase medical insurance for their employees. These companies typically pay half the cost of medical insurance while the employee picks up the other half.

If you are a large business, then hiring someone with a 'pre-existing medical condition' could be risky because the employee would only be able to get very costly 'high risk' insurance--if he/she can get insurance coverage at all.

What's more, the only medical reason to prescribe marijuana is for the relief of extreme pain. That's a red flag for possible high absenteeism. It also suggests that the prospective employee might be terminally ill. Even small companies, who don't have to pay for medical insurance, have to worry about investing resources in training an employee who likely won't be with them for very long, or who might be absent a lot.

And then, too, an employee on marijuana, since it alters the senses, might make a lot of mistakes--some of them dangerous ones. Businesses don't want employees who perform poorly. You also don't know if his dosage will be increased or not--the problems might get worse (probably will).

All in all, I would not be willing to hire a candidate who was on prescription marijuana. I'd also be wondering, "Why did he even tell me? Why didn't (or couldn't) he go off of his prescription for a week just to pass the drug screening?"

--and what's more, if someone did get injured because my employee was on marijuana, and given that I knew in advance that he was on marijuana--that puts me more at risk legally.

My heart goes out to people who are ill, but I wouldn't be willing to take on such a high risk to my business and possibly put my customers or clients at risk. Customers and clients want people who can think clearly. I would have to put my customers/clients needs first.

Banali

Not without an independant medical assessment. 3 reasons.

1. Marijuana is used to ease the symptoms of some serious conditions. I would want to know more about the underlying condition and why it couldn't be treated using conventional medicine.

2. I would need to be satisfied that there were no pyschological side effects that may affect the employees performance.

3. Health and Safety. I would want to be certain of how it will affect the employees performance and ability to conform to H & S regs. Random drug and alcohol testing is becoming the norm in many sectors.

MikeGolf

Nope.

1) There is no real scientific evidence that supports the use of medical marijuana asa safe and effective treatment for any medical condition.

2) There are effective medications that treat the same conditions so there is no real need for it.

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