{"id":18985,"date":"2025-04-21T16:42:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T15:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=18985"},"modified":"2025-05-20T19:18:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T18:18:25","slug":"legal-doesnt-mean-safe-potential-changes-to-marijuana-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2025\/04\/legal-doesnt-mean-safe-potential-changes-to-marijuana-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Doesn\u2019t Mean Safe: Potential Changes to Marijuana Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

by <\/strong>Drug Free America Foundation <hhorning> 10 April 2025 15:45<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As marijuana becomes more accessible across the U.S., it\u2019s easy to assume that legality equals safety. But that assumption can put both individuals and workplaces at risk. Whether you\u2019re a small business owner trying to protect your team or an employee navigating changing laws, here\u2019s the truth: legal doesn\u2019t mean harmless.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

With more than half of U.S. states allowing marijuana in some form, and ongoing federal discussions around reclassifying the drug to a lower-risk category, many people are wondering if this means marijuana is \u201cofficially safe.\u201d The answer isn\u2019t so simple.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Health experts and addiction researchers caution that the reclassification\u2014or legalization\u2014of marijuana does not<\/em> erase its risks. In fact, the marijuana available today is much more potent than in decades past, and regular use is linked to a variety of health and safety concerns, including:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Addiction: Around 30% of users may develop cannabis use disorder (CUD).<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Impaired judgment and motor skills, increasing the risk of workplace accidents.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and in more and more cases, marijuana-induced psychosis.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cognitive impairment, especially harmful during adolescence and young adulthood.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Decreased productivity and increased absenteeism in workplace settings.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Additionally, what many people don\u2019t realize is how dramatically marijuana has evolved. The THC content (the chemical responsible for the \u201chigh\u201d) has skyrocketed\u2014by up to 20 times compared to marijuana from the 1960s\u20131980s. That higher potency means stronger effects, more intense impairment, and greater risk of dependence.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

As a small business owner, it\u2019s your job to keep your workplace safe and your team informed. That starts with clear policies, open communication, and a basic understanding of the facts:<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Marijuana may be legal in your state, but you can still set limits in your workplace, especially for safety-sensitive roles.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Employees might be confused by changing laws or think rescheduling makes marijuana \u201csafe\u201d\u2014education is key.<\/p>\n

\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Workplace drug testing policies may need updates to reflect new realities while maintaining your drug-free goals.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Dr. Deepak D\u2019Souza, a psychiatrist and marijuana researcher at Yale, warns that the health effects of marijuana are still not fully understood. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a very bad job of educating people,\u201d he says, adding that many turn to celebrities instead of scientists for information.<\/p>\n

Legalization and regulation are evolving. But as an employer or employee, it\u2019s crucial to separate policy from perception. Just because something is allowed doesn\u2019t make it appropriate\u2014or safe\u2014for every situation.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, a safe, productive, and healthy work environment depends on informed choices. Let\u2019s make sure everyone in your workplace has the facts to make them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Source:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Easing marijuana laws doesn\u2019t mean the drug is safer<\/em>. (n.d.). WebMD. https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/mental-health\/addiction\/news\/20240501\/reclassification-of-marijuana-doesnt-mean-its-safer<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Drug Free America Foundation <hhorning> 10 April 2025 15:45   As marijuana becomes more accessible across the U.S., it\u2019s easy to assume that legality equals safety. But that assumption can put both individuals and workplaces at risk. Whether you\u2019re a small business owner trying to protect your team or an employee navigating changing laws, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,68,12,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cannabis-marijuana","category-drug-use-various-effects","category-legal-sector","category-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18985\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}