Marijuana: Benign? Not Hardly!

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Marijuana. Cannabis. Pot. Weed. Today it’s everywhere.

Have you ever been standing in line at the grocery store and noticed that the person who just got in line behind you reeks of marijuana? Or how about when someone comes to your house to offer some type of unsolicited service (e.g., tree trimmers or gutter salespeople among others) and as soon as you open the door you’re blown away by the strong stench of pot.

It’s a common occurrence these days. In fact, it even happens at work when employees start their shift, return from a lunch break or after they’ve been out driving a company vehicle. You can thank the folks behind the nationwide movement to legalize marijuana who have also made it their mission to prohibit companies from securing the safety of the workplace by limiting what employers can do to prevent workplace drug abuse or take action when someone is suspected of being under the influence on the job. Unfortunately, sometimes the consequences the rest of us must pay are tragic.

Consider the hot air balloon accident that occurred in 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The balloon crashed into a power line, causing the basket to detach from the envelope and plummet to the ground. Five people, including the pilot, were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that the crash was, in part, caused by the pilot’s use of cocaine and cannabis.[i]

The official report stated: “Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of impairing, illicit drugs” … “Some impairing effects of THC would likely have been present, that would have affected the pilot’s ability to successfully operate the balloon.” So sometimes having to endure the sickening smell of marijuana on a co-worker or fellow shopper is the least of our concerns.

Quest Diagnostics reported in 2023 that post-accident positive drug tests recently reached a 25-year high. “In 2022, post-accident marijuana positivity of urine drug tests in the general U.S. workforce was 7.3%, an increase of 9% compared to 6.7% in 2021. The new peak follows a steady increase in post-accident marijuana positivity every year from 2012 to 2022. In that 10-year time frame, post-accident marijuana positivity increased 204.2%.”[ii] The report added: “These increases in post-accident marijuana positivity correspond with legalization of marijuana in certain states.”

Workplace drug testing has always been about deterring people from being at work under the influence of illicit drugs and identifying people who need help. But the proponents of legalizing marijuana argue that marijuana is a benign drug that among other things is not even addictive. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) would disagree.

“Marijuana use can lead to the development of problem use, known as a marijuana use disorder, which takes the form of addiction in severe cases. Recent data suggest that 30% of those who use marijuana may have some degree of marijuana use disorder. People who begin using marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults.”[iii]

And as far as being a benign drug, the loved ones of those killed in the hot air balloon crash would certainly disagree. But on a personal user-by-user basis, there are plenty of reports that confirm the various ways in which marijuana use can cause harm. With NIDA’s help here are some of the ways:

The Brain. “Substantial evidence from animal research and a growing number of studies in humans indicate that marijuana exposure during development can cause long-term or possibly permanent adverse changes in the brain.”[iv]

Heart Health. “Limited evidence suggests that a person’s risk of heart attack during the first hour after smoking marijuana is nearly five times his or her usual risk.72 This observation could be partly explained by marijuana raising blood pressure (in some cases) and heart rate and reducing the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen.”[v]

Mental Health. “Considerable—though not all—evidence has linked cannabis use to earlier onset of psychosis in people with genetic risk factors for psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia, as well as worse symptoms in people who already have these conditions. Although less consistent, there is also evidence linking cannabis use to other mental illnesses and self-harm, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors.”[vi]

Lung Health. “Marijuana smoking is associated with large airway inflammation, increased airway resistance, and lung hyperinflation, and those who smoke marijuana regularly report more symptoms of chronic bronchitis than those who do not smoke.”[vii]

And the list goes on.

Now consider the case of Anne Hassel, a 56-year-old resident of Massachusetts. Hassel purportedly purchased her marijuana legally and used it in accordance with the state law, which allows so-called recreational marijuana use. But the weed she consumed was anything but safe. According to a recent article published by several media outlets, she said she “developed twitching muscles, numbness in her feet, nausea and cramps after using marijuana, only for doctors to find high levels of nickel, lead and cadmium.”

“People consider that if it’s legal, it’s safe. It’s a complete fallacy,” she told the Wall Street Journal.[viii] According to the report, Hassel says she quit using marijuana because of the risk of contamination.

So if marijuana is neither benign nor non-addictive and use can lead to numerous health issues, and legally purchased marijuana can contain harmful chemicals, then why use it? First of all, there is a lot of misinformation about marijuana that may result in some people concluding that it’s safe to use, especially compared to other illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin. According to the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH):

“Percentages of people who perceived great risk from cocaine or heroin use once or twice a week were 83.2 and 91.9 percent, respectively. In contrast, [only] one fourth of people (25.0 percent) perceived great risk from smoking marijuana once or twice a week.”[ix]

This perception may be, at least partly, the result of a well-funded campaign to educate Americans about the so-called “safety profile of cannabis” as found on the website of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, commonly known as NORML. However, even the leading voice for the legalization of marijuana warns users about possible harmful effects of using the drug:

“Nonetheless, cannabis should not necessarily be viewed as a ‘harmless’ substance. Consuming cannabis will alter mood, influence emotions, and temporarily alter perception, so consumers are best advised to pay particular attention to their set (emotional state) and setting (environment) prior to using it. It should not be consumed immediately prior to driving or prior to engaging in tasks that require certain learning skills, such as the retention of new information. Further, there may be some populations that are susceptible to increased risks from the use of cannabis, such as adolescents, pregnant or nursing mothers, and patients with or who have a family history of mental illness. Patients with hepatitis C, decreased lung function (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), or who have a history of heart disease or stroke may also be at a greater risk of experiencing certain adverse side effects from cannabis.”[x]

But if the alarming and increasing rate of marijuana use is any indicator, people are not getting the message that marijuana is potentially bad for their health, possibly addictive, and certainly a significant safety hazard in the workplace.

Employers are well advised to maintain a firm commitment to a drug-free workplace with a drug testing program that includes marijuana while also complying with all applicable state laws and federal regulations. Pre-employment and random drug testing can deter drug users from applying for a job at a company that conducts such testing, and help employers avoid hiring the very people who are responsible for the dramatic increase in positive marijuana drug test results following workplace accidents.

The four people who placed their lives in the hands of that New Mexico hot air balloon pilot who came to work with marijuana in his system might still be alive today if he had been screened for marijuana before lifting off that day. Why would anyone be opposed to doing that?

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[i] https://www.foxnews.com/us/pilots-drug-use-contributed-to-deadly-new-mexico-hot-air-balloon-crash-ntsb

[ii] Post-Accident Workforce Drug Positivity for Marijuana Reached 25-Year High in 2022, Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index Analysis Finds. Quest Diagnostics. May 2023. https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2023-05-18-Post-Accident-Workforce-Drug-Positivity-for-Marijuana-Reached-25-Year-High-in-2022,-Quest-Diagnostics-Drug-Testing-Index-Analysis-Finds

[iii] Is marijuana addictive? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

[iv] Ibid.

[v] Ibid.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid.

[viii] For Marijuana Users, Even Legalization Doesn’t Guarantee Safety. Washington Post. Feb. 20, 2024. By Stephanie Armour. https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/for-marijuana-users-even-legalization-doesnt-guarantee-safety-ef1660a5

[ix] National Survey on Drug Use and Health. SAMHSA. January 2024. Page 33. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt42731/2022-nsduh-nnr.pdf

[x] Marijuana: A Primer. By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. https://norml.org/marijuana/library/marijuana-a-primer/