Reasons To Quit
Legal Issues
There is great debate as to whether or not marijuana should be legalized. Especially now that Medical Marijuana has been legalized in California.
Many people who smoke pot believe it to be a harmless activity that should not be considered a crime. Regardless of how harmless some may believe marijuana to be, the fact remains that its use, possession, sale and purchase are illegal in the United States. Whether the act is considered a misdemeanor or a felony depends on several factors.
As long as marijuana remains illegal, anyone who uses, sells or purchases it is putting themselves at risk. Expensive legal battles, job loss, damaged reputation and even imprisonment may result. In order to preserve your freedom to do other things in your life, it is imperative that you give up this particular habit. Drug charges permanently remain on one's record, accessible to potential employers and anyone else performing a background check.
Employment
Most employers require potential employees to submit to drug testing. Even after a person tests clean and is hired, many employers will continue to require drug testing at scheduled or random intervals. While some smokers may try to "work the system" by ceasing to smoke for a certain number of days before they expect to be tested, or by using various methods to try to "clean" their system and thus alter the test results, these methods are not always successful. The consequences of testing positive are severe. Prospective employees who test positive on their drug screens are not hired regardless of their other qualifications. Those who are already employed and test positive are likely to be terminated. If the employer is lenient, the employee may be given the choice of being terminated or successfully completing a substance abuse treatment program. These treatment programs are usually lengthy in duration (several months or more) and are at the employee's expense.
It is routine for prospective employers to perform background checks on job applicants. In this competitive job market, even a misdemeanor possession charge puts one at a disadvantage over someone with a clean record. A felony drug charge in one's background is likely to render a person virtually unemployable.
