200 WORD RESPONSE

Marijuana was decriminalized in Canada in October 2018. Since that time, many Canadian police departments have implemented policies regarding officials using marijuana that would probably shock many Americans. For example, the Vancouver Police Department says that it will not impose any restrictions on their officers for using marijuana while off-duty. The only policy they will enforce is that all officers must be fit for duty when they report to work. It essentially holds them to the same standards as after-hours alcohol consumption.

Changes are happening in the United States as well. In Atlanta, Georgia, which is a state where marijuana use is still illegal, the Atlanta Police Department will no longer ask applicants if they have smoked marijuana and consider its use as a factor in eligibility to join the force. They claim that they have lost too many qualified candidates when asking them about marijuana smoking.

Share your opinions, from both the perspective of a criminal justice administrator working in a state where marijuana use has been decriminalized and from the perspective of a private citizen, on whether criminal justice personnel (in states where it is legal) should be allowed to use marijuana while off-duty. Explain the rationale for your opinions.