Sunday marked the end of the pre-employment screenings for marijuana in Michigan. A code change that was approved in July came into effect.
This change is the result an amendment that was unanimously approved by the Michigan Civil Service Commission in July. It also allows individuals who have already been penalized for positive THC test to retroactively rescind the sanction. Commission Chair Jase Bolger stated at the time, that the intent was to treat cannabis like alcohol.
He said that a person who “overindulges” in alcohol or marijuana on Friday night “is likely not under the influences of either substance” by the time they return to work Monday. “So we are going to treat them similarly.”
commissioners opened a comment period in May to get feedback on the reform. The amendments to the law that required state agencies to drug-test applicants for cannabis, and other Schedule I or II substances were amended by adding an exemption that stated that “appointing authorities shall not require marijuana testing for a preemployment drug test for a new hire for a position not test-designated.”
There are still some jobs that require testing, such as those requiring a driver’s licence or heavy machinery or equipment, or law enforcement officers and corrections officers. Other positions include healthcare workers, people who work with controlled substances, and positions which involve hazardous or explosive material.
Just under a third (approximately 14,000 out of 48,00 positions) of all state jobs will still require testing.
Testing is permitted when there are suspicions of impairment at work.
In July, the commission also addressed a “related matter” that was governed by the code. Prior rules stipulated that people who tested positive for marijuana during an application for a classified position would lose their conditional employment offers and be banned from applying for other state agencies for three years.
According to the new rule adopted by the commission, “a person who has an active sanction of three years based on a result positive for marijuana in a pre-employment test for a position that is not designated for testing may request a prospective revocation of the sanction as provided in regulations.”
The Detroit Free Press reported that in 2022 the state would deny 151 job offers to people who tested positive for marijuana.
The paper reported that as a result, just under 200 people, who were previously barred from government jobs, can now be considered for them by sending to officials.
Michigan voters approved the legalization of adult-use marijuana in 2018. Sales will begin next year.
In 2021, Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel sent a legal opinion to another state commission arguing that residents who were fired for using marijuana outside of the workplace still qualify for unemployment benefits under the law.
Michigan surpassed its previous record in July by selling nearly $277,000,000 in cannabis products.
These sales are consistently breaking records in the state, even though the cost of marijuana is at record lows. The price of an adult-use ounce of cannabis hovers around $98. By comparison, in December 2021 the price of an ounce would have been about $180.
A bill recently introduced to the legislature will legalize the use of psychedelic fungi and plants as long as the activities such cultivation and distribution are not done for money or any other valuable consideration.
State lawmakers have called for the U.S. Congress to invest in research and non-technology treatments, including psychedelics, that can help treat the psychological trauma caused by military service.
This is How the Marijuana Banking Bill was Amended during this week’s Senate Committee Markup
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