Marijuana Causes Tough Legal Questions for Employers (Perspectives)
The United States is getting greener and greener, but not necessarily in the environmental sustainability sense. Twenty-eight U.S. jurisdictions now permit the medical use of cannabis, and 8—Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Maine, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts—have fully legalized it for recreational use.
While millions of consumers are rejoicing at what now appears to be the seemingly inevitable end of prohibition, marijuana’s path from black market to medicine cabinet hasn’t been so simple for employers. Amid the headlines about crowds lining up outside of dispensaries and the millions of dollars states are collecting in tax revenue, intractable questions have arisen about the role of cannabis in society and the workplace.
Just this month, for instance, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that employers in the state must provide reasonable accommodations for medical marijuana patients, even though courts in Colorado and California have said precisely the contrary.
What should an employer do to reduce legal risk? Between these jurisdictional variances—as well as uncertainty around Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, federal regulations, and zero-tolerance and drug testing policies—it pays to know a good attorney.
Fortunately, we happen to know some of the best. Our content partners at Fisher Phillips have put together a must-read article that covers best practices for and frequently asked questions about dealing with marijuana in the workplace. Click here to read “Marijuana For Everyone? Society’s Changing Attitude Reflected In Workplace Practices.”
PS—We’ve also covered this topic in prior blog posts and webinars. For more information about marijuana, drug testing, and safety in the workplace, click here.
From our Partners at:
Fisher Philips is one of our esteemed partners who have authored a pre-loaded library of content and trainings that takes the hassle out of staying current with ever-changing compliance requirements. The result? Compli makes it easy to maintain an effective workforce compliance program.
Like this article? Find more at Fisher Phillips Workplace Safety and Health Law Blog.
