IMPACT ON LOCAL ECONOMICS
& WORKPLACES
Marijuana legalization normalizes an addictive, highly potent drug that will endanger the health of our workforce, diminish productivity, and compromise the safety of our workplaces.
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Companies in states with legalized recreational marijuana have struggled to find employees who can pass drug tests, especially for federal jobs (direct or contract), industries that require operation of heavy machinery, or jobs requiring truck driving[1]
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Research shows employees who tested positive for marijuana in pre-employment drug tests have higher rates of industrial accidents, injuries and absenteeism[2]
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One study among postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana on a pre-employment urine drug test had 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries, and 75% greater absenteeism compared with those who tested negative for marijuana use.[i]
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Marijuana legalization wreaks havoc on neighborhoods and is a net loser for homeowners.
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Legalization has been linked to neighborhood degradation and depressed property values in zip codes in which the retail outlets are located.
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A 2021 study from Seattle, WA found that home prices within a 0.36 mile area around a new dispensary fall by 3–4% on average, relative to control areas, due to a significant increase in nuisance-related crimes that occur near dispensaries.[ii]
Recreational marijuana is still illegal under federal laws, so growers and sellers face challenges using traditional banks and financial markets.
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[1] “Medical Marijuana in the Workplace,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, May 2015: https://bit.ly/2BPdP0l
[2] “How does marijuana use a ect school, work, and social life?” National Institute on Drug Abuse, updated June 2018: https://bit.ly/1oIZI1v
[i] Zwerling C, Ryan J, Orav EJ. The efficacy of preemployment drug screening for marijuana and cocaine in predicting employment outcome. JAMA. 1990;264(20):2639-2643.
[ii] Danna Thomas, Lin Tian,Hits from the Bong: The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on property values, Regional Science and Urban Economics, Volume 87,2021,103655,ISSN 0166-0462, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2021.103655. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166046221000156)