LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – On Friday, the Michigan Civil Service Commission circulated a proposed rule that would drop pre-employment drug testing for marijuana with exceptions for specific “designated” jobs like drivers of commercial vehicles and state police troopers.

As a result, soon you might be able to get a state job even if you’ve got a hankering for Mary Jane i.e. pot, weed, dope, grass or reefer.

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State Personnel Director John Gnodtke sent out a letter about proposed amendments to rules concerning drug and alcohol testing on May 12th. In the letter, Gnodtke says that changes to state and federal laws concerning legalizing marijuana have led to new perspectives on rules concerning the use of pot while people are employed by the state. He said, “In light of these changes, commissioners have requested circulation for public comment of potential regulation amendments to end the pre-employment-testing requirement for marijuana for classified employees hired into non- test-designated positions. Ending this pre-employment testing for marijuana would not affect the availability of reasonable-suspicion or follow-up testing for marijuana of classified employees, including candidates who become employees.”

He went on to say, “Because of ongoing testing requirements under federal law and safety considerations related to test-designated positions, the proposed amendments would preserve the status quo for pre-employment, random-selection, post-accident, follow-up, and reasonable- suspicion testing for those positions.”

This change to the rules is seen by some, including those within Michigan government, as a solution to the state’s hiring crunch. Nick Ciaramitaro, a member of the Civil Service Commission told The Detroit Free Press, “One of the big problems we’re having right now is attracting and retaining sufficient personnel.”

One of the reasons that the state is having problems finding that personnel is because so many have been failing the pre-employment drug screening for marijuana since recreational adult use of the substance was legalized in 2018 . In 2022, the state rejected 151 job applicants.

Peter Neu, labor relations counsel for the Michigan Association of Governmental Employees, said about changing the rule, “If you’re just pushing paper and you’re not intoxicated at work, what do we care what you do during your personal time?” He said that prospective employees who failed marijuana tests “for all we know would be great employees.”

Preemployment testing is a civil service rule that’s been in place since the late ’90 and the state of Michigan gave preemployment drug testing to 10,353 prospective employees last year.

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Comments on the proposed amendments may be emailed to MCSC-OGC@mi.gov or sent to Office of the General Counsel, Michigan Civil Service Commission, P.O. Box 30002, Lansing, Michigan, 48909. Comments must be received by June 23, 2023.

It’s been said that “a joint a day keeps the bad mood away” and if the new rules pass, the government  testers will be kept away as well.