Tagged With: Workplace
Marijuana Legalization and Workplace Safety: A Short-Lived Hysteria
With 47 states and the District of Columbia permitting the use of marijuana or its extracts in some form, new questions concerning employers’ rights, lawful marijuana use by employees, and maintaining a safe workplace have been raised. The biggest issue? While it’s legal to possess and consume marijuana in several states, it’s still illegal under … Continue reading
Study: Medical Cannabis Access Laws Associated With Fewer Workplace Fatalities
Medical cannabis access programs are associated with year-over-year declines in fatal workplace accidents, according to data published online ahead of print in The International Journal of Drug Policy. Investigators with Montana State University, Colorado State University, and American University in Washington, DC assessed the relationship between the enactment of medical cannabis laws and workplace accidents … Continue reading
Massachusetts: Medical Marijuana Patients’ Afforded Workplace Protections, High Court Rules
State-registered medical cannabis patients may sue a private employer for discrimination if they are fired for their off-the-job marijuana use, according to a first in the nation ruling issued today by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Opining for the court, Chief Justice Ralph Gants determined that it is “not facially unreasonable” for employers to make … Continue reading
NORML Forms Multi-State Workplace Drug Testing Coalition
The fact that 190 million Americans now live in states where marijuana has been legalized to some degree is raising a number of questions and issues about how to integrate the American workforce and marijuana consumers rights in regards to drug testing. With medical marijuana is legal in 29 states and recreational marijuana for adult … Continue reading
Oregon: Support Legislation to End Workplace Discrimination Against Adult Marijuana Consumers
Legislation is pending before the Senate, SB 301, to prohibit employers from discriminating against adults who legally consume marijuana during non-work hours. Senate Bill 301 states, “It is an unlawful employment practice for any employer to require, as a condition of employment, that any employee or prospective employee refrain from using a substance that is … Continue reading
Washington: Support Legislation to End Workplace Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Consumers
Legislation is pending before the House, HB 1094, to prohibit employers from discriminating against patients who legally consume marijuana during non-work hours. The bill amends existing law so that: “An employer may not refuse to hire a qualifying patient, discharge or bar a qualifying patient from employment, or discriminate against a qualifying patient in compensation … Continue reading
New Jersey: Legislation Seeks to End Workplace Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients
Assembly Bill 2482 seeks to halt employers from taking adverse employment actions against authorized medical marijuana patients who engage in the plant’s use during their off-hours. The legislation states, “Unless an employer establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that the lawful use of medical marijuana has impaired the employee’s ability to perform the employee’s job … Continue reading