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A former receptionist at the Ocean View Town Hall lost her job and now owes approximately $8,000 in unemployment benefits after a drug test for work turned into a legal battle over medical marijuana.

All over the country, employers say they see a disturbing downside of tighter labor markets as they try to rebuild from the worst recession since the Depression: They are struggling to find workers who can pass a pre-employment drug test.

When it comes to the hot-button issue of legalizing marijuana, there seem to be far more questions than answers. As more states vote to legalize it for medicinal and even recreational purposes, HR professionals and employers are finding themselves in a precarious position: what to do about marijuana in the workplace?

Two families with deep Colorado roots - the Johnsons of Colorado Springs and the Haseldens of Centennial - have built rival commercial construction companies, each employing hundreds of people and reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. In business, they are practically sworn enemies.