Police Hiring and Marijuana Legalization

Presenter Information

Devin Kohr

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Start Date

13-5-2014

Keywords

Police, Marijuana, Employment

Abstract

With the passage of Initiative I-502 in 2012, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in Washington State. Although this reduces law enforcement's focus on marijuana possession, it creates problems when it comes to police hiring policies and standards. This can be seen in the recent changes the Seattle Police Department and the Washington State Patrol have made to their hiring policies in regards to past marijuana usage. This research examines the impact that the legalization of marijuana is having on the hiring policies of these two police agencies. It looks at what the changes in the drug usage policies are and why the changes were implemented. This project will also discuss how the changes have impacted the hiring pools for these agencies and if they have changed the overall characteristics of the people being hired.

Poster Number

2

Faculty Mentor(s)

Mary Ellen, Reimund

Additional Mentoring Department

Law and Justice

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May 13th, 12:00 PM

Police Hiring and Marijuana Legalization

With the passage of Initiative I-502 in 2012, the recreational use of marijuana was legalized in Washington State. Although this reduces law enforcement's focus on marijuana possession, it creates problems when it comes to police hiring policies and standards. This can be seen in the recent changes the Seattle Police Department and the Washington State Patrol have made to their hiring policies in regards to past marijuana usage. This research examines the impact that the legalization of marijuana is having on the hiring policies of these two police agencies. It looks at what the changes in the drug usage policies are and why the changes were implemented. This project will also discuss how the changes have impacted the hiring pools for these agencies and if they have changed the overall characteristics of the people being hired.