Michigan ends marijuana testing for most state jobs
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Recreational marijuana has been legal in Michigan since late 2018, but in the years since people looking to work for the state of Michigan were still subject to marijuana testing. But that changed this week in a unanimous vote from the Michigan Civil Service Commission.
This change means regulations will look at recreational marijuana use much like alcohol use and won't test for it in new hires.
"If you think about marijuana the same way you think about alcohol, and frankly, legally, they're the same, except at the federal level. In Michigan, they're the same exact thing. They're both goods in commerce, they're both legal, you're really leaving a lot of very capable, very good employees on the sidelines when you should be giving them gainful employment because it's not affecting their employment in any way," said Denise Polliciella, the founder and an attorney at Cannabis Attorneys of Michigan.
People who applied for jobs with the state but were denied in the past because of failing a marijuana test can now reapply if they choose.
"If you have marijuana on the weekends or in the evening and it's not otherwise, you know, affecting your ability to be a great employee, now you can work for the state, and that's a great thing," said Pollicella.
This new change still excludes law enforcement officers, healthcare providers, and employees operating heavy machinery.