Another federal agency urges employees not to use marijuana, warns of consequences

Through Jelena Martinovic

Despite a growing acceptance of marijuana use among Americans, there are still policies penalizing federal employees for their 24-hour marijuana use in states where the plant is legal.

The US Forest Service (USFS) is another federal agency that is asking its employees not to use cannabis, Marijuana Moment reported. “There have been no changes to the list of drugs included in the Schedule I drug list under the Controlled Substance Act,” the USFS Human Resources Department said in a statement released Monday.

The agency warned staff that it would conduct random testing on people suspected of having cannabis use. Employees in test designated positions are tested regularly. In addition, the consequences for positive tests are “discipline up to deportation when illegal drug use is first proven”.

RELATED: A Record Number of Americans Fail Drug Tests Due to Weed, So What’s the Answer?

The notice warns, “All Forest Service employees must remain drug-free and refrain from illegal drug use, whether on or off duty, regardless of state law.”

While employees aren’t specifically prohibited from using hemp-derived CBD, which is legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, USFS warned that those using it “could test positive for illicit drug use.”

“It may be falsely labeled as containing no or low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol when it actually contains high levels,” the agency said.

Photo by KLH49/Getty Images

The largest state union is working on a policy change

Meanwhile, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) recently passed a resolution supporting the legalization of cannabis and pushing for the scrapping of policies that penalize federal employees for their 24-hour marijuana use in states where the plant is legal is.

The action, titled “Resolution to Support Deleteing Responsible Off-Duty Marijuana Usage from Suitability Criteria,” notes that there is an “increasing acceptance of marijuana use in American society, including for medical treatment by military veterans and others,” and points out that “state regulations improperly portray the use of marijuana for safety reasons as a matter of concern.”

RELATED: Workplace drug testing is a thing of the past, study finds

While some city departments like the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) are considering changing their guidelines for cannabis testing, it appears that significant changes will come as marijuana becomes legal nationwide.

Which industries do drug testers work most and least in?

It’s good to know that both the transportation and warehousing and utility sectors had higher testing rates than the others.

At the other end of the spectrum are lodging and food services, arts, entertainment and recreation, information, education services and the financial sector, all of which have the lowest test rates.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.