Developments in Regulating Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing
Nebraska voters approved medical cannabis measures, while voters in Florida, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected ballot initiatives to legalize recreational cannabis on election day.
Nebraska Medical Cannabis Measures
Nebraska voters approved Ballot Initiatives 437 and 438, which legalize and regulate medical cannabis in the state. While the measures were widely supported, there is lingering…
The Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting discrimination against medical marijuana patients in the workplace and limiting certain types of marijuana drug testing by employers as to these patients. Mayor Ed Gainey is expected to sign the measure and it will take effect immediately after signing.
Pennsylvania state law already protects medical…
The Department of Justice (DOJ) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in the Federal Register on May 21, 2024. If the rule is finalized, marijuana would be considered a drug with “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological…
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will recommend that marijuana should be rescheduled from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, according to an announcement made April 30, 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice. This means that marijuana would be considered a drug with “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”…
On October 7, 2023 Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 700, which makes it unlawful under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) for an employer to discriminate against a job applicant based on information regarding prior use of cannabis that is learned from a criminal history.
However, SB 700 does not preempt state…
Delaware became the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana on April 23, 2023 when the state’s Governor failed to veto two bills that allow for the legalization of marijuana, effective immediately. Individuals who are 21 years of age and older may possess and use up to one ounce of marijuana. It will be taxed in…
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed into law Senate Bill 47 on March 31, 2023 which legalizes medical cannabis in Kentucky. Under the law, eligible Kentucky residents will be able to apply for a registry identification card as a registered qualified patient after obtaining a written certification from the individuals’ medical practitioner. Out-of-state registry identification cards…
Voters in Maryland and Missouri approved laws to legalize recreational marijuana on Election Day 2022. Recreational marijuana ballot initiatives did not pass in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Maryland
Maryland voters approved a state constitutional amendment that will allow the use of cannabis by anyone over the age of 21 on or after July…
Puerto Rico’s disability discrimination statute (Law 44-1985), the local counterpart of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has been amended to extend coverage to registered and authorized medical cannabis patients. The amendment (Law 90-2022) went into effect on October 14, 2022, upon Governor Pedro Pierluisi’s signing.
Prior to the amendment, Law 44-1985’s definition of a…
Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law September 19, 2022 several measures relating to marijuana, including one that prohibits employment discrimination based on off-duty use of marijuana. The law takes effect on January 1, 2024.
The law will prohibit an employer from discriminating against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment,…
