Medical Marijuana, Workplace Safety and Proposed Oregon House Bill 2881

The debate on current medical marijuana laws and how some hinder the enforcement of "Drug Free" Workplace policies has reared its head in Oregon. Employers who are trying to enforce "Drug Free" Workplace programs continue to feel that the current law makes it difficult to evaluate if a person is abusing marijuana. Lobbyists for newly proposed House Bill 2881 would like to see medical marijuana use by employees outlawed. Lee Briney, president-elect of the Columbia Willamette Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers exclaimed that "The state's medical marijuana law has morphed into a get out of jail free card for the indiscriminate use of marijuana."

According to a current article published in the Oregonian, "House Bill 2881 proposes sending drug test results to a physician who would review positive results with the applicant or employee. One version of the legislation requires a physician to report a positive test to the employer if there is cause to believe that an employee's drug use poses a job safety risk."

It will be interesting to see how this debate unfolds not only in Oregon but nationally as well. One thing that employers can be sure of though is that an experienced testing agency like Pittsburgh based Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) is needed to implement a solid workplace substance abuse program. MMC is an industry leading provider of random drug testing services and offers affordable and compliant drug screening packages that follow both the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Non-Federal testing guidelines. For any questions on random drug testing programs or for a professional review of your current testing solutions - Contact an MMC Technician today!

Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC)
(888) 662-8358
http://www.mobmed.com/

New Oxycodone Formula Gets Backing of FDA

The FDA recently voted in favor of pushing a new formulation of oxycodone hydrochloride for approval. The new OxyContin formula is more difficult to crush or dissolve which will hopefully make it harder to be used as a drug of abuse . The FDA recommended that Purdue Pharma's application for a new, resin-coated formulation should replace the original version, which has been on the market since 1996. Randall Flick, MD, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic who voted to recommend approval of the drug said, "Clearly the old formulation is worse than the new, although I think the difference is relatively small," Flick concluded, "Hardcore abusers are likely to devise new ways to break down the harder tablet or figure out which solvents will dissolve it fastest, within 'day or weeks' of the product's release on the market."

Utah Debates Drug Testing for Public Assistance

Utah has begun to follow the path that so many other states have traveled earlier this year. The path leads to drug testing for public assistance. Utah Senator Dennis Stowell had asked that the issue be studied carefully and Rep. Christopher Herrod said "If someone's on drugs, we shouldn't be giving them money," he said. "There's nowhere in the Constitution that says, 'You have a right to get welfare." At the center of the debate is cost and legality. An analyst for Community Action Partnership of Utah stated that "The cost to test all Utah’s families that receive 'Temporary Assistance for Needy Families' would be high." The analyst added, "That testing all welfare recipients just once would cost about $255,000 and a lawsuit against the state would likely cost more than $1 million." Further discussion and analysis is planned in the upcoming months to decide whether to study the issue further, table the issue or wait un

PHOTOS: MMC Through the Years

Mobile Medical Corporation (MMC) is excited to be celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2020! MMC was founded on June 21, 1990. Check out some photos as we have grown over the years!

Nationwide Drug Testing and On-Site Medical Services By Mobile Medical Corporation

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