I believe that police departments as well as many other agencies should lower their marijuana
standard throughout their hiring processes. I’d like to preface my post by saying I do not
believe marijuana should be used on the job and current marijuana use should not be
overlooked but should be questioned.
The times are changing, and more than 20 states have legalized marijuana in some form
whether recreationally or medically. More than ever people have almost unlimited access to it.
As someone who has a medical marijuana card, and who has also been disqualified from
employment due to my marijuana usage, I wholeheartedly believe the medical aspect of
marijuana usage should be considered throughout the hiring process.
I was able to obtain my medical marijuana card because due to my diagnosis of PTSD. It is
important to note that research suggests between 12 % and 35% of police officers suffer from
PTSD (Craddock & Telesco, 2021). When working as a first responder they are seeing some of
the most traumatic moments in another person’s life that they will hold onto forever. When
they are not on the clock, they should be able to go home and use marijuana to help treat their
PTSD if needed without any consequences from their job.
“There is little evidence that a history of marijuana use itself directly impacts police officer
performance” Loewentheil, N. (2017). Keeping this quote in mind, it is important to
understand that putting this stipulation on the hiring process in an already severely
understaffed career field, you are weeding out potentially great employees when they are
needed most.
References:
Loewentheil, N. (2017). High Standards?:Reassessing the use of marijuana standards to
screen police recruits in Maryland.:Abell Foundation.:https://abell.org/publication/high-
standards/
Craddock, T. B., & Telesco, G. (2021). Police stress and deleterious outcomes: Efforts towards
Improving Police Mental Health. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 37(1), 173–
182. doi:10.1007/s11896-021-09488-1
Chapekis, A. (2024). Most Americans now live in a legal marijuana state – and most have at
least one dispensary in their county. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-
reads/2024/02/29/most-americans-now-live-in-a-legal-marijuana-state-and-most-have-at-
least-one-dispensary-in-their-county/#:~:text=Since%20Colorado%20and%20Washington
%20became,drug%20for%20medical%20use%20only.
