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Employee Rights Decriminalization of Marijuana

Most countries provide some degree of workplace protection for employees and job applicants. Depending on the jurisdiction, these protections generally include safety precautions and policies, anti-discrimination... more +
Most countries provide some degree of workplace protection for employees and job applicants. Depending on the jurisdiction, these protections generally include safety precautions and policies, anti-discrimination policies, collective bargaining and unionizing rights, meal and rest requirements, minimum wage rules, and medical and family leave rights to name a few. In the United States, the federal framework for employee rights stem from statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In addition, employee rights statutes are implemented and enforced by regulatory authorities such as the EEOC, NLRB, OSHA, and the Department of Labor. Further, many state and local governments provide additional and localized protections for employees that are enforced by local regulatory entities. less -
Akerman LLP - HR Defense

California’s New Drug Testing Rules Protect Employees’ Off-Duty Cannabis Use

With expanding legalization and commercialization—including several state initiatives in 2024 and perhaps even federal legislation—the chances are good that your California business has at least a few employees who consume...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Off-Duty Conduct Protections for Employees’ 4/20 Celebrations: A Look at the High Points of a Few States’ Marijuana Laws

With the arrival of the unofficial annual holiday known as “4/20,” employers can celebrate by reminding themselves of the state laws that could protect employees’ off-duty 4/20 celebrations....more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Protecting Off-Duty Cannabis Use in California: What Employers Should Know

As of January 1, 2024, California employers cannot make employment decisions based on an employee’s legal, off-duty cannabis use. They also cannot request information about a job applicant’s prior cannabis use. Constangy...more

Littler

California Laws Come into Effect Regarding Off-Duty Marijuana Use

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Two new laws will take effect next year that restrict how employers may respond to worker off-duty cannabis use.  One law will restrict employers’ ability to ask about prior cannabis use in the hiring process, and the other...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

The Week in Weed: October 2023 # 4

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Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see there’s a controversy over cannabis use and gun ownership by police officers in Jersey City, New...more

Lathrop GPM

Employers Should Take Note of Important Minnesota Employment Law Developments From the 2023 Legislative Session

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The 2023 Minnesota legislative session was an active one and has resulted in a number of new employment law obligations for employers with Minnesota-based employees...more

Lerch, Early & Brewer

New Rule Will Limit DC Employers’ Ability to Crack Down on Employee Cannabis Use

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DC employers will no longer be able to take adverse action against employees for certain cannabis use. The new rules are part of the Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act, which was passed by the DC Council then...more

Littler

As Minnesota Nears Broad Marijuana Legalization, Employers Should Anticipate Testing, Policy Changes

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With just days remaining in the legislative session, Minnesota lawmakers remain on track to legalize recreational marijuana, significantly modify the state’s drug-testing law, and limit employers’ rights to prohibit employee...more

Littler

Washington, DC Legislative Roundup

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The District of Columbia continues to implement broad employment initiatives, ranging from wage and hour laws to stricter civil penalties. The following is a rundown of key developments for employers to keep an eye on as we...more

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Maryland and Missouri Pass Recreational Marijuana, Missouri Adds Medical Marijuana Cardholder Employment Protections

On November 8, 2022, voters in Maryland and Missouri overwhelmingly approved ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana, becoming the 20th and 21st states to do so. And, as part of the ballot initiative in Missouri,...more

Littler

Recreational Marijuana in Missouri Is Coming Soon – What Employers Need to Know

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On November 8, 2022, Missourians voted to legalize recreational marijuana, adopting “Amendment 3,” a proposal to amend the state Constitution. With this development, Missouri joins a growing number of states that have...more

Payne & Fears

New California Law Prevents Employers From Taking Action Against Employees Based Solely on Cannabis Use Away From Work

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Drug screenings form a routine part of many hiring processes, but a new law may require employers to review this practice. The law, AB 2188, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sept. 18, 2022, amends the California Fair Employment...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

New California Law Will Prohibit Employment Discrimination Based on Off-duty Marijuana Use

​​​​​​​Some of the first states that legalized the use of medical or recreational marijuana did so with warnings to users that state law provided no protections from drug testing or loss of employment due to the presence of...more

Polsinelli

District of Columbia Provides Employment Protections for Off-Duty Cannabis Use

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On June 7, 2022, the D.C. Council approved a bill that limits an employer’s ability to test for cannabis.  Under the Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act, most D.C. employers may not fire, fail to hire, or take other...more

Pullman & Comley - Labor, Employment and...

Keep Off the Grass: A Reminder That Employers Must Address the Implications of Connecticut’s Legalization of Recreational Cannabis...

Beginning July 1, 2022, Connecticut’s law legalizing the recreational use of cannabis for adults 21 and over imposes new restrictions on employers while offering protections for employees who indulge. While that might sound...more

Morgan Lewis

Rhode Island Legalizes Recreational Marijuana and Protects Off-Duty Use for Employees

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Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed a bill on May 25 legalizing recreational marijuana in the state. The law, which took effect immediately, prohibits basing adverse employment actions on off-duty marijuana use, unless...more

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

New York State Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Cannabis and the Workplace

On October 8, the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) issued a frequently asked questions document (FAQ) offering guidance for the workplace related to the state’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). MRTA,...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

New York Department of Labor Issues Guidance on Cannabis and the Workplace

The New York State Department of Labor (“NYDOL”) has issued FAQ guidance addressing common questions regarding recreational cannabis use by employees in and outside of the workplace in light of the enactment earlier this year...more

FordHarrison

Cannabis Legalization and its Impact on the Transportation Industry

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Trends in Cannabis Legalization - While employers in the transportation industry are acutely aware of the effects COVID-19 has imposed over the last 18 months, another phenomenon has been making itself known: the...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

Weed and the Workplace: Recent Developments in New York, Virginia, and Colorado

Employers take note: recently New York became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana use through Senate Bill 854A, and Virginia is not far behind. ...more

Pullman & Comley - Labor, Employment and...

Latest Developments from the Connecticut General Assembly: The Labor and Public Employees Committee Has Spoken (Part Two-Expansion...

RELIANCE UPON PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORDS BY EMPLOYERS: H.B. No. 6474 (“An Act Concerning Collateral Employment Consequences Of A Criminal Record”) would, among other things, prohibit all employers from denying employment on the...more

Williams Mullen

Virginia Legalizes Marijuana and Bolsters Employee Protections: What Employers Need to Know

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Ready or not, Virginia – on July 1, 2021, marijuana becomes fully legal for adults to use and possess in-state. Virginia is now the 16th state to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes....more

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP

New York State Addresses a Chronic Issue: Employees Granted Protections for Off-Duty Cannabis Use

On March 31, 2021, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), legalizing the recreational use of cannabis in New York State for individuals age 21 or older. ...more

Saiber LLC

Legalization of Cannabis in New Jersey Means Employers Should Revise Their Workplace Policies

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On February 22, 2021, Governor Philip Murphy signed into law a trio of bills that collectively legalize adult use of recreational cannabis in the State of New Jersey.  The legalization of cannabis, more commonly referred to...more

FordHarrison

New Jersey's Recreational Cannabis Bill Contains New Employment Protections and Unique Drug Testing Requirements

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On February 22, 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (“CREAMMA”) into law. The move follows New Jersey voters’ passage of a ballot...more

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