Maine's legislature overrides a veto to pass a bill implementing legal marijuana sales, California's senior senator finally comes on board with legalization, Canada's legalization push faces some hiccups, and more.

Dianne Feinstein. California's senior senator finally hops on the marijuana train. (Wikimedia Commons)

Dianne Feinstein Drops Opposition to Legal Marijuana. California's senior US senator, Democrat Dianne Feinstein, a longtime foe of marijuana legalization, has seen the light. In an interview Tuesday with McClatchy, she said she was now open to considering federal protection for state-legal marijuana. "Federal law enforcement agents should not arrest Californians who are adhering to California law," said Feinstein, who is facing a primary challenge from Kevin de Leon, who supports marijuana legalization.

Maine Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto of Marijuana Legalization Implementation Bill. Both the House and Senate voted Wednesday to override Gov. Paul LePage's (R) veto of LD 1719, the bill designed to allow the state's legal marijuana industry to get up and running. The bill would establish a system of licensed retail marijuana outlets to sell marijuana to adults. Recreational marijuana sales would be taxed at 20%, while medical marijuana patients would continue to pay a 5.5% tax.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

Synthetic Opioids Fueling Rise in Overdose Deaths. Synthetic opioids such as fentanyl are now the most common drug involved in fatal drug overdoses, researchers from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported Tuesday. Fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids accounted for 14% of all overdose death in 2010, but 46% in 2016. Of more than 42,000 opioid-related overdose deaths, synthetics were implicated in more than 19,000, prescription opioids in more than 17,000, and heroin in more than 15,000. The numbers add up to more than 42,000 because many ODs involve multiple drugs.

Drug Testing

Trucking Industry Wants Hair Testing for Drivers. The Alliance for Driver Safety & Security, also known as the Trucking Alliance, has announced it will push for a new federal drug testing law to undergo drug testing to prove they have been free of opioids or other illegal drugs for at least 30 days. That means testing hair follicles, which allows drug use dating back weeks or months to be spotted. The industry complains that urinalysis drug testing isn't catching enough opioid addicts or "lifestyle" drug users.

International

Canada Prime Minister Leaves Door Open for Possible Legalization Delay. Faced with calls from two Senate committees to delay the marijuana legalization bill, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left the door open for a possible slowdown in enacting the government's marijuana legalization bill. The Senate aboriginal peoples committee has called for a one-year delay for broader consultations with indigenous communities, and a separate committee has called for a delay to clarify what will happen to Canadians trying to enter the US. Trudeau didn't reply directly when asked about a possible delay, but said, "We'll continue to consult a broad range of Canadians, and as our parliamentary secretary Bill Blair says regularly, legalization is not an event, it's a process. And that process will continue," he said.

Colombia Coca Eradication Falls Far Short of Goal. The government will successfully eradicate only about 60% of the coca plantings it pledged to eradicate last year, President Juan Manuel Santos said Tuesday. And it will take longer than the government first announced. Colombia had vowed to eradicate 125,000 acres of coca planting by the end of last year, but Santos said it would only eradicate about 75,000 acres, and that would be by the of this month.

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this web site. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)

Widespread workplace drug testing -- a uniquely American phenomenon -- has generated controversy ever since Ronald Reagan pushed hard for it back in the 1980s. On the one hand, opponents see it as an invasion of workers' privacy protections; on the other, advocates believe it is the best means of preventing injuries that might occur when a worker is intoxicated.

High levels of drug testing are to be found in industries such as health care, heavy manufacturing and construction, where being impaired on the job can lead to loss of life or limb or endanger the health and well-being of others. But drug testing is also popular in industries with no such apparent risk, such as retail. Whether that guy at the camera counter at Walmart smoked a joint over the weekend probably has no discernible impact on public safety.

Speaking of smoking joints, marijuana is by far the most commonly used illicit drug (though it's now legal in nine states). Positive workplace drug tests for marijuana are on the rise, reflecting broader popular acceptance of the drug, which is also leading some companies to quit testing for pot. In a low unemployment economy, employers may be increasingly reluctant to lose potential workers over a positive test for marijuana.

And some potential workers are reluctant to seek employment at places that are going to subject them to drug testing. Fortunately for them, there are some economic sectors where facing a pre-employment or random at-work drug test is not a real risk -- in fact, it's a rarity. But most of these jobs require a university degree. Like so many things in America, drug testing is a class thing.

That said, if you want to work in a field where you don't have to worry about peeing in a bottle to get or keep a job, here, thanks to Insider Monkey, are some options.

1. Management Positions

These relatively well-paying professional gigs tend to have drug testing levels approaching absolute zero. On the high end, if you can call it that, were general managers (1.8%) and project managers (1.6%), but office managers, business managers, and retail managers all came in under 1%, with event managers besting them all at a minuscule 0.01%. Average pay for these positions ranged from the mid-40s for retail and office managers to more than $70,000 for project managers. Ironically, the administrative assistant position, which can be an excellent entry-level job for people seeking careers as managers, is more likely to be subject to drug testing than any managerial position. Still, it's only 1.9% of administrative assistants.

2. Personal Services

You're not going to get rich in these jobs, but you're not likely to get drug tested, either. Because of the transient nature of jobs in these careers or because many people in these fields are self-employed, gig economy workers just don't get that drug test scrutiny. Cosmetologists, hairstylists and fitness trainers all face testing less than 1% of the time, while pet groomers and massage therapists come in under 3%. These jobs have median pay ranging from around $25,000 to $30,000.

3. Information Technology

These are the fields that are stereotypically the domain of the nerdy stoner. You wouldn't expect employers in the industry to turn down a budding genius because he gets high at home, and you would be right. Only 3% of web designers and IT consultants face the empty cup, and fewer than 3% of Java developers and front-end developers do. While not quite as drug testing-free as cosmetologists or pet groomers, IT workers make a lot more money. On the low end, web designers are pulling in a median $48,000, while pay is around $70,000 for the other positions listed.

4. Marketing

Those bright, shiny people trying to make us buy stuff are also largely exempt from drug testing, especially on the bottom rungs. Only 0.3% of marketing assistants are subject to pre-employment drug screens, and only 3.8% of marketing coordinators. The former positions average $36,000 a year, while the latter average $41,500.

5. Real Estate, Insurance and Financial Services

These white-collar jobs are all unlikely to see drug testing requirements. Fewer than 3% of loan processors and insurance agents face the prospect of peeing in a cup to win a job, while a minuscule 0.5% of real estate agents do. Real estate agents are also the highest paid in this group, averaging $47,000, while both loan processors and insurance agents come in at under $40,000.

6. Bartender

People whose job it is to mix and sell legal psychoactive substances are very unlikely to be tested for illegal ones. With only 3.2% of employers demanding pre-employment drug tests, bartenders are the least likely of restaurant and bar workers to be tested. Chefs face testing at a rate of 6.2%, while 4% of hostesses are likely to face it. The median salary for bartenders is $29,240.

7. Creative White Collar

Neither graphic designers nor copywriters are likely to face a pre-employment drug test. A big reason is that many of these are freelance gigs: No boss = no drug test. But even when working for employers, drug testing is unlikely in these fields. Copywriters came in at 3.2%, while graphic designers were at 3.9%.

Trump renews the opioid crisis emergency even as an opioid commission member calls it "a sham," things are looking up for Michigan marijuana legalizers, the French parliament will take up drug decriminalization, and more.

Presidential opioid commission member Patrick Kennedy calls it "a sham" and "a charade." (nationalcouncil.org)

Michigan Poll Has Strong Support for Legalization. A new Detroit News-Local 4 poll finds that 56.6% of respondents support a marijuana legalization initiative that is likely to be on the November ballot. The initiative from the Michigan Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has already handed in signatures and is awaiting verification of signature validity by state officials.

Medical Marijuana

Congressional Budget Deal Retains Protections for State Legal Medical Marijuana. The short-term budget deal approved by Congress Monday retains the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, which bars the Justice Department from using its funds to go after medical marijuana patients and operations in states where it is legal. But the continuing budget resolution is only in effect until February 8.

Indiana Senate Panel Advances CBD Bill. The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee voted 7-2 Tuesday to approve Senate Bill 52, which would legalize CBD cannabis oil containing less than 0.3% THC. The state already has a CBD law, but that law is limited to epilepsy patients who are registered with the state. This bill would open up CBD use to anyone with a medical conditions.

New Jersey Governor Orders Review of State's "Constrained" Medical Marijuana Program. Gov. Phil Murphy (D) Tuesday ordered a 60-day review of the state's medical marijuana program, which he called "constrained." He said he would consider allowing home deliveries, allowing purchases beyond the current two-ounce limit, and expanding the number of dispensaries, but he did not mention expanding the list of qualifying medical conditions.

Heroin and Prescription Opioids

Trump Administration Extends Opioid Emergency. The Trump administration has announced a 90-day extension of its declared opioid crisis emergency. The emergency was set to expire Tuesday. But the administration has done little to demonstrate it takes the crisis seriously. It has allocated no new funds, failed to launch a public awareness campaign, and has left key drug policy positions unfilled.

Trump's Opioid Commission is a "Sham," Member Says. Former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy has called the commission "a sham" and "a charade" in an interview with CNN. "This and the administration's other efforts to address the epidemic are tantamount to reshuffling chairs on the Titanic," said Kennedy. "The emergency declaration has accomplished little because there's no funding behind it. You can't expect to stem the tide of a public health crisis that is claiming over 64,000 lives per year without putting your money where your mouth is."

Drug Testing

Nebraska Bill Would Require Drug Tests for Unemployment Benefits. State Sen. Joni Albrecht (R-Thurston) has filed Legislative Bill 712, which would allow some people seeking unemployment benefits to be drug tested. Failure to take or pass a drug test would make the person ineligible for benefits until he or she passes the drug test. Albrecht said she filed the bill on behalf of employers who want a drug-free work force. The bill got a hearing Monday, but no action was taken.

South Dakota Bill Would Require Drug Tests for Lawmakers. State Rep. Tim Goodwin (R-Rapid City) has filed a bill, House Bill 133, that would require all legislators to undergo drug tests within two weeks of being sworn into office. A positive drug test or a refusal would be reported to the presiding officer of the lawmaker's chamber for discipline. The move comes as the legislature ponders harsher penalties for meth offenses, and Goodwin said Tuesday that if lawmakers want to send people to prison for "a long period of time, we should all be clean ourself [sic]."

International

France Parliamentary Report Recommends Decriminalizing All Drug Use. A new parliamentary report is recommending a pair of options for modernizing the country's drug laws, including the decriminalization of drug use and possession. One proposal calls for fining drug possessors and charging them with a crime if they don't pay the fine. The other proposal calls for drug use and possession to be downgraded to a civil offense ("la contravention"), with fines, but no possibility of a criminal charge. Parliament will now have to decide which approach it wants to take.

Russian Presidential Candidate Calls for Marijuana Legalization. Presidential candidate and former reality TV star Ksenia Sobchak is calling for the legalization of marijuana. She said legalizing weed could help solve "the narcotics epidemic" in the country. "I myself don't use it, but I don't drink vodka by the bottle, either," she told state-run RIA Novosti news agency. "I don't really understand why drinking vodka in enormous quantities is considered normal in our country, but using marijuana is not, though it has far fewer consequences, even from the perspective of crime statistics," she added.

There's more money in legal weed than even the analysts thought, BC will let 19-year-olds buy pot, Peruvian coca planting was up last year, and more.

A $10 billion year for legal marijuana, and this is just the beginning. (Creative Commons)

Retail Pot Sales Will Hit $10 Billion This Year, Report Says. A new report from the Arcview Market Research group says North American marijuana sales are growing faster than expected and should hit the $10 billion mark this year. And next year could see even faster growth with both California and Canada set to become legal marketplaces next year. Arcview said it now expects the legal marijuana market to hit $24.5 billion by 2021.

International

British Columbia Lays Out Pot Rules, Will Allow Sales to 19-Year-Olds. BC became the latest Canadian province to roll out proposed rules for looming legal marijuana, announcing that it will allow sales through a mix of government and private stores and that it will allow people 19 and over to possess and purchase marijuana. The province has not yet finalized other issues, such as whether online sales will be allowed and whether existing shops would be able to apply for licenses. Those decisions are expected next month.

Paraguay Congress Approves Medical Marijuana Planting. The congress passed a bill Tuesday that creates a state-sponsored system to import marijuana seeds and grow crops for medicinal uses. The move comes half a year after the congress approved the importation of cannabis oil, but patients and advocates had complained about problems with access. The bill still needs to be signed into law, but that is expected given that the government supports the bill.

Peruvian Coca Planting Jumped Last Year. The area planted with coca grew by 9% in 2016, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said Tuesday. Coca cultivation covered about 110,000 acres. Coca cultivation in Colombia, Peru's chief competitor, was at more than 360,000 acres, although that could be a blip related to producer incentives linked to the peace agreement between the FARC and the government.

Philippines President Orders National Police Back to Drug War Operations. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the National Police to rejoin anti-drug operations. He had pulled them off the brutal crackdown on drug users and sellers in October, weeks before he hosted a summit of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump. This is the second time Duterte has pulled the National Police from the job and then reinstated them; the first time was in January, amidst public outrage over the killing of a South Korean businessman.