In Arizona, what he does on his own time is his business. Not so in the Golden State.
Arizona’s taken quite the beating from Californians recently, what with the red state’s anti-immigrant, anti-civilization stance creating both headlines and policy. But Arizona’s not all bad — in fact, it can be downright progressive. In at least one instance, more progressive than California.
The Retiree State became the 15th in the union to approve medical marijuana in November, when its voters gave the green light to Proposition 203 by a razor-thin margin. Most California marijuana users would think the Arizona law sucks: It’s much more difficult to get a recommendation (“anxiety” or “insomnia” won’t work), possession is limited to 2.5 ounces (compared to at least eight in California — more in some counties), no patient can grow more than 12 plants, and patients can’t grow any plants at all if they live within 25 miles of one of the few dispensaries to be allowed in the state.
Nobody is going to mistake Maricopa for Mendocino County anytime soon, but medical cannabis patients in Arizona have one gigantic leg up over their California counterpart: Employment protection.
That’s right, kids: In California, a positive drug test can still get you fired from your job, recommendation or no recommendation. In Arizona, unless you show up to the job blitzed out of your mind with a joint hanging out of your mouth, you’re good.