Question

Research the current state of marijuana laws and how these laws can/will affect the hiring of new law enforcement recruits. Where do you stand on marijuana use prior to law enforcement employment and why?

Answer 1

As of now, eight states have legalized marijuana in some form or the other which means people can use it without any fear. The laws pertaining to individual freedom keeps changing and there were many such changes have taken place in the American Society in the 20^th century in terms of civil rights not just for the Black community but also in terms of women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, disability protection etc. Now, in terms of drugs, marijuana is accepted as legal drug. While it is alright for the normal people to use marijuana, it would become a huge issue if people who wants to join the law enforcement agency also use it. The use of marijuana will definitely play a major role in law enforcement recruitment because people who wish to join law enforcement agency should be a clean slate, otherwise they would become a burden for the agency. Even if they intake marijuana, it should be at their home but any drug has the potential to make the user an addict and in this case, the implication will be very severe as they would be called for duty at any time. They should be mentally and physically fit to work at any time. In my opinion, drugs will immobilize, paralyze and make the user physically unfit, so people who use marijuana shouldn’t be selected for law enforcement agencies.