The states of Colorado and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia, have enacted laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Those jurisdictions and twenty-one other states have also legalized the use of medical marijuana. Meanwhile, U.S. Code still outlaws the use of marijuana, and programs funded by or under the direction of the federal government mandate drug testing that includes testing for marijuana. The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published an article on the use of marijuana in the workplace in the April 2015 issue of the journal. Given the complex environment surrounding marijuana use, legal and illegal, employers need to assess the risks associated with the use of marijuana and other impairment-causing substances, create policies and develop plans accordingly.

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