These are two propositions on the Arizona ballot this November that legalize marijuana sales (although through licensed facilities, which are regulated)…. and raise the state minimum wage to $10.10 per hour from $8.05.
All the business press and many of the local pundits have said that one should vote ‘no’ on marijuana and the minimum wage increases, but they’ve all failed to plan for what happens if they pass.
If marijuana is legalized, then businesses are going to have to have drug tests as part of their prescreening, which is currently not entirely legal. There’s a question about legality, because it used to be legal to test for drugs and alcohol, as long as you disclosed to the applicant that he/she was going to be tested. Worked well.
The minimum wage is on the ballot, as is marijuana legalization because we have citizen initiatives, which means if you can get signatures from 250,000 registered voters for your idea, it can get on the ballot.
Who among our younger voters wouldn’t vote for these props, consequences be damned?That’s the problem.
Push is likely to come to shove. We are in uncharted territory, because it’s not clear that the legislature can modify citizen initiatives. If one or both of the props pass
The minimum wage initiative is likely to either bend cost curves or restrict hiring. We think the latter. Among my clients, they start experienced people around $11 per hour, and they don’t want to pay some know-nothing $10.10 to start, because it will upset the workers they’ve already got.
I guess we’ll find out.