Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont recently signed Senate Bill 1201, making Connecticut the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years or older. The new law not only requires expungement of certain...more
On March 31, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (the Act) legalizing the recreational use of marijuana products by adults. Effective immediately, the Act prohibits employers...more
After contentious negotiations, Governor Phil Murphy has signed the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (the Act) implementing the constitutional amendment embracing...more
As we reported over the summer, on June 25, 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “Act”) into law. This Act legalizes the use, possession, and even cultivation of marijuana by...more
11/25/2019
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Amended Legislation ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Recreational Use ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
Beginning January 1, 2020, new legislation in Nevada will require employers to think carefully about whether and which applicants should be tested for marijuana. Under A.B. 132, employers are generally prohibited from...more
6/26/2019
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Labor Regulations ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recreational Use ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Workplace Safety
On June 4, 2019, the Illinois legislature passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (the “Act”) (HB 1438). The Act, notwithstanding federal law, declares marijuana a “lawful product” for state law purposes, and would make...more
6/20/2019
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Pending Legislation ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Recreational Use ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On April 9, 2019, the New York City Council passed a first-of-its-kind bill that prohibits pre-employment drug testing for the presence of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinols. ...more
4/11/2019
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Conditional Job Offers ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana-Infused Edibles ,
Medical Marijuana ,
State and Local Government
On March 12, 2019, Oklahoma Governor Stitt signed into law the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Use and Protection Act. The Act, better known as the medical marijuana “Unity Bill,” amends the state’s medical marijuana law to create...more
A Connecticut federal court has issued another decision in the case of Noffsinger v. SSC Niantic Operating Company LLC, further expanding protections to individuals who are qualified under Connecticut’s Palliative Use of...more
9/12/2018
/ Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Drug Testing ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Policies ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Job Applicants ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On February 1, 2018, Maine will become the first jurisdiction in the nation to protect workers from adverse employment action based on their use of marijuana and marijuana products, provided the use occurs away from the...more
1/30/2018
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Discrimination ,
Drug Testing ,
Employment Policies ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Off-Duty Employees ,
Popular ,
State and Local Government
Employers nationwide take note: if your workplace drug and alcohol-testing policies take a zero tolerance approach to medical marijuana because the use, distribution, or possession of marijuana is unlawful under federal law,...more
8/17/2017
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Policies ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Marijuana ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Popular ,
Preemption ,
Zero Tolerance Policies
On November 8, 2016, Maine voters approved “Question 1”—An Act To Legalize Marijuana (“ALM” or “the Act”). “Emergency” legislation since passed by the Maine legislature and signed by Governor Paul LePage now provides...more
On June 15, the Colorado Supreme Court provided good news to Colorado employers that prohibit employee marijuana use. In the long-awaited decision in Coats v. Dish Network, the court ruled that medical marijuana use—which is...more
On May 29, 2014, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed into law legislation making Minnesota the 23rd jurisdiction to adopt a law authorizing the use of medical marijuana. The new Minnesota medical marijuana law (MML)...more