Pubdate: Fri, 01 May 2015 Source: Dayton Daily News (OH) Copyright: 2015 Dayton Daily News Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/7JXk4H3l Website: http://www.daytondailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/120 Author: Steve Bennish POT'S STATUS CONCERNS BUSINESS Chamber Members Go to Columbus to Talk Over the Issues. COLUMBUS - There's increasing talk in business circles about the prospect of marijuana legalization in Ohio - particularly among employers wondering how they'll handle a larger pool of potential and current employees who could be under the influence. Even pot legalization proponents admit there's no precise way to measure degrees of marijuana intoxication, unlike other drugs such as alcohol. In states with a large manufacturing base, the employer's problem could boil down to who is fit to operate potentially dangerous production machinery and related equipment. That's at least one key unknown for those attending the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Day in Columbus on Thursday after listening to the opening salvos in what promises to be a highvolume debate this year between proponents and critics of legalization. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia legalized marijuana for medical purposes, and D.C. and four of the states also allow recreational use by adults. Matt Owen, executive director of the Preble County Chamber of Commerce, is fielding questions from businesses in his county. He estimates a couple thousand manufacturing workers there. "It's a huge concern," he said. "Someone partying over the weekend and returning to the factory floor. Would you regulate it like alcohol? No one is giving us much clarification." Chris Kershner, vice president of public policy for the Dayton chamber, said similar concerns are coming from his organization's membership. The chamber as yet has not taken a stand on the issue of legalization, he added. "There's no way to test impairment - or did you use marijuana over the weekend or two hours ago," he said. Employers "have to make sure safety and reliability are at the forefront." Columbus attorney Jon Allison spoke for the Drug Free Action Alliance, and Ian James, executive director of Responsible Ohio, spoke for his group, which won approval from the Ohio Ballot Board in March to begin efforts to collect 305,591 valid voter signatures by July 1 to put an initiative on the November ballot. James' response to the question of handling employees is that employers have some established legal standing to prohibit the use of certain substances. For example, Scotts Miracle-Gro's ban on employee tobacco smokers has withstood court challenges. Allison said hiring managers are already finding it difficult to recruit employable people who can pass a drug screening. Adding marijuana use into the mix in a state already struggling with opiate abuse would make the problem worse, he said. Employees with a physician's permission to use pot would add another complication for employers, Allison added. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom