Legalization of drugs, pros and cons!

[PearlsNLace]

Originally Posted by Gemme

But they come to work stoned and they smoke it at work and the "work" they do while here is sub-par so when guests find something that's not done right (and occasionally dangerous), then MY ass gets chewed out because I'm the face of the hotel. Fuck that and fuck them for putting the rest of their coworkers in this position..

Then why not just fire them for the work they do is Sub Par? Or at least begin the process of write ups, counseling, documentation of "does not meet expectations"

We are at a time when jobs are hard to find. There are replacements. Give them a chance to improve, and if they dont, find the replacements?

I know nothing is ever that simple. But it just seems to me that you can focus on what is within your circle of influence, and be happier, instead of what is out of your circle, and be resentful.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by PearlsNLace

Then why not just fire them for the work they do is Sub Par? Or at least begin the process of write ups, counseling, documentation of "does not meet expectations"

We are at a time when jobs are hard to find. There are replacements. Give them a chance to improve, and if they dont, find the replacements?

I know nothing is ever that simple. But it just seems to me that you can focus on what is within your circle of influence, and be happier, instead of what is out of your circle, and be resentful.

Why not? Because it's not up to me. I am a worker bee, not the Queen. I have a ton of responsibility and no voice.

Thank you for your opinion. I'll take it into consideration when someone calls me at 11pm and berates me for the water shooting out of their wall from a poorly repaired pipe or someone's fallen off the balcony because the railing wasn't secured properly. Or maybe I'll pass that onto them, although I really don't think they will appreciate the nuance of it at that hour and if someone is cold, wet, hurt or all of the above. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's so easy to pass judgment when you are not involved in the situation.

Jobs ARE scarce and that's why I present my argument for whatever the issue of the day is (and yes, there are issues daily), then suck it up when people who are in the hospitality industry for the first time ever tell me what is the right thing to do, then tell me they feel it's best to cut hours for myself and the only other full time person on staff, and try to remind myself that I'm only here for a few more months since I am more likely to get canned than them. Sad but true.

Now, back onto topic!

If you'd like to further engage me on this, please pm me.

[foxyshaman]

If good old Canada were to legalize or decriminalize mary-jane it would free up approx. 40% of criminal court time. It would also cost quite a few jobs... saving tax payers a bundle. How to decriminalize it? NOt a lawmaker, have no idea. Cretian was close... until the south of the border big brother got nasty... funny how plans change.

I would rather be in a room with 10 pot smokers than one drinker... hands down anytime. Alcohol can be a serious issue, often times without warning. Don't trust drunks, do trust "pass me the bong" sista's.

Working with Children's Services the long term affects of alcohol and other harder drugs create children without hope or little hope. Not that mary-jane is harmless in some homes, but the costs are far less.

Give me pot anyday.

[PearlsNLace]

Gemme, you have a PM, per your request.

To the thread, I apologize for the derail.

Back on topic:


I have worked in the kind of jobs you just dont want to see an employee impaired with. And yet, I have seen things happen poorly, because of impairment from drugs we DO accept.

Ive seen patients get neglected due to nurses taking excessive smoke breaks.

Ive seen patients get unnecessarily poked repetitively by IV nurses who have had so much coffee their hands shake to much to get the needle in right.

Ive seen patients get snapped at because the nurse was tired from a sugar crash, or they are jonesing for the next cigg, or they have not had thier cup of coffee yet.

We certainly dont test for caffiene, nicotine, or even A1c levels for surgical doctors. But who wants a doc to be impatient with THEM during surgery, just because they need a cigg, or even a twinkie?

In my experience with these more mild responses is that the result was targeted - limits were put on breaks, education increased on patient right to be treated with dignity, ext and that this treated the problem the substance was causing, wich CAN be fixable. When the drug is socially acceptable, the problems are treated differently. The focus becomes the job performance, not the substance.

It just makes sense to me that less accepted drugs could be delt with in the same way.

[firie]

Originally Posted by PearlsNLace

Gemme, you have a PM, per your request.

To the thread, I apologize for the derail.

Back on topic:


I have worked in the kind of jobs you just dont want to see an employee impaired with. And yet, I have seen things happen poorly, because of impairment from drugs we DO accept.

Ive seen patients get neglected due to nurses taking excessive smoke breaks.

Ive seen patients get unnecessarily poked repetitively by IV nurses who have had so much coffee their hands shake to much to get the needle in right.

Ive seen patients get snapped at because the nurse was tired from a sugar crash, or they are jonesing for the next cigg, or they have not had thier cup of coffee yet.

We certainly dont test for caffiene, nicotine, or even A1c levels for surgical doctors. But who wants a doc to be impatient with THEM during surgery, just because they need a cigg, or even a twinkie?

In my experience with these more mild responses is that the result was targeted - limits were put on breaks, education increased on patient right to be treated with dignity, ext and that this treated the problem the substance was causing, wich CAN be fixable. When the drug is socially acceptable, the problems are treated differently. The focus becomes the job performance, not the substance.

It just makes sense to me that less accepted drugs could be delt with in the same way.

Wow, what a great post and with it, points.

I haven't read the thread, but just saw this first post, so please forgive me if I am repeating things already pointed out, but recently CPS here in TX decided that it would start testing a certain set of caseworkers because we are essentially deemed a child placing agency, because we do license foster homes, so law requires drug testing for those workers.

This is problematic to me not because I advocate for drug usage in the workplace, and certainly not when one is responsible, as a caseworker is, for making decisions impacting lives, as well as driving around children, parents, and other caseworkers in cars on a daily basis, but because we, as an agency, who drug test clients on an hour by hour basis, know quite well that drug tests are often flawed and do not catch dysfunctional and harmful usage unless it is really truly chronic (which would be evident without the drug test), except of course when it comes to marijuana. Marijuana, even slight usage, harmless usage, I would say, shows up regardless and for quite awhile, and so the test doesn't, in my opinion, really help any agency address what might be quite bigger issues with impairment than just "illegal" drug use, and really doesn't help identify the more severe types of illegal drug use, say cocaine use (because it leaves the system rather fast, and so coke users can beat drug tests pretty easy, same goes for other drugs of this sort).

I would also like to add that drug tests are so fallible because of the things you mentioned above that might impair worker functioning, and things that are perfectly legal. And I'd also like to throw in to that mix the legal prescribed treatments of painkillers, anxiety meds, and certain psychotropics. There are folks, who under doctor's orders, take a great deal of impairing "drugs" and so are much more likely than the occasional pot smoker to wreck a car (with a kid in it), and are also much more likely to be impaired in the other job responsibilities they have. Also, such issues like functional alcoholism, as even just a hangover can impact one's day. Caseworkers, too, are also very likely to be on the job after a 14 hour day and very little sleep, and add to that further (because it's so common an equation) to be working under those conditions when they are sick. So many get so swamped and are quite dedicated, so they head out in cars (more than 60% of the job is travel, transporting kids) on cold and cough medicines, and with all the symptoms, even severe, of cold, flu, etc (CPS management often has to "force" people to take sick days, believe it or not).

I actually would rather trust the rested and organized caseworker who tokes a bit here and there on weekends and in the privacy of their non-work realms, than the over anxious, freaked out, constantly stressed, never rested caseworker who is making life decisions every day, and, well, has the great potential to fuck up an awful lot, truly damaging people's lives. But the drug test will indicate marijuana more so than it will ever detect impairment that may seem functional on the surface but truly is impairment and thus brings with that a risk of harm in performing the job, and as such, in positions like casework or nursing, can possibly greatly harm other people.