- Required to permit or accommodate an employee’s use, possession,
Washington State to Bar Employers From Relying on Off-Duty Use of Marijuana in Hiring Decisions
The state of Washington will prohibit employers from making hiring decisions based on off-duty use of cannabis or positive pre-employment drug test results that find an applicant to have nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids. The new law (SB 5123) takes effect on January 1, 2024.
Noting that recreational…
Delaware Legalizes Recreational Marijuana
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…
Pennsylvania Court Holds Employer Must Reimburse Out-of-Pocket Costs For Medical Marijuana
A Pennsylvania Court held that an employer violated the state Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) by refusing to reimburse an employee for out-of-pocket medical marijuana expenses related to a workplace injury. Fegley v. Firestone Tire & Rubber (Workers’ Comp. Appeal Bd.), 2023 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 26 (Commw. Ct. Mar. 17, 2023).
Claimant was…
Voters in Two States Approve Marijuana Ballot Initiatives on Election Day 2022
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…
Occupations Governed by Federal Regulation Remain Guarded Against State Medical Marijuana Non-Discrimination Laws
A growing number of states have passed anti-discrimination laws pertaining to medical marijuana use. While medical marijuana is becoming widely legalized under state law, marijuana and its most identifiable active chemical, THC, remain listed as Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Still, the legalized marijuana market, and the science behind the research…