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Medical Marijuana Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Disability Discrimination

Medical Marijuana refers to the use of marijuana to treat or alleviate symptoms of certain illnesses. A growing number of states permit individuals to use marijuana on the recommendation of a physician. Despite... more +
Medical Marijuana refers to the use of marijuana to treat or alleviate symptoms of certain illnesses. A growing number of states permit individuals to use marijuana on the recommendation of a physician. Despite state laws to the contrary, Federal law still prohibits the use or possession of marijuana. The conflict between state and federal law on this issue has created interesting enforcement issues and significant legal hurdles for medical marijuana providers.  less -
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,...

Medical Marijuana Usage Is Not Protected Under the ADA, Vermont Federal Court Rules

On February 14, 2024, a judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont dismissed a plaintiff’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) discrimination and failure-to-accommodate case, holding that his medical...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Puerto Rico Disability Discrimination Law Covers Registered and Authorized Medical Cannabis Patients

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

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....more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

Employee Disability and Cannabis Oil Protections Set to Take Effect in Virginia

Quick Hit: Two new laws in Virginia providing disability discrimination protections and protections for medicinal use of cannabis oil for employees go into effect July 1, 2021. Key Takeaway: Virginia, once known as a...more

ArentFox Schiff

Managing Medical Marijuana at Workplace Amid Evolving State and Local Law

ArentFox Schiff on

Since California first legalized medical marijuana in 1996, approximately thirty-two other states and the District of Columbia have followed its lead and approved marijuana use for medical purposes. Introduction [1] - ...more

Littler

Utah State Legislature Clarifies: Private Employers Not Required to Accommodate Use of Medical Cannabis; Public Employers Held to...

Littler on

Utah’s medical cannabis program officially launched this month, and the Utah State Legislature timely enacted Senate Bill 121, which amends and clarifies various provisions of Utah’s medical cannabis laws, including a...more

Robinson+Cole Manufacturing Law Blog

Legal Pot = Manufacturing Storm Clouds (the Refrain)

A few months back, I posted some thoughts about recent efforts to legalize medical and recreational marijuana, with an emphasis on the potential issues such laws would have on manufacturers – particularly manufacturers in a...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

National Safety Council Endorses Zero Tolerance Prohibition on Cannabis/Marijuana for Safety-Sensitive Employees

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: The National Safety Council released a policy statement endorsing employer zero-tolerance policies for cannabis use for employees who work in safety-sensitive positions, explaining that no level of cannabis...more

Cozen O'Connor

Texas’ Expansion of Medical Marijuana May Impact Employers

Cozen O'Connor on

Texas has largely avoided the wave of marijuana legalization sweeping the country and the accompanying legal complications that have come along for the ride. Those days may be numbered as the Texas Legislature recently passed...more

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

What a Long Strange Trip It’s Been: Is Medical Marijuana Coming to Alabama?

On March 20, 2019, House Bill 243 (HB243) was introduced in the Alabama House of Representatives. HB243, a bipartisan bill with extensive support from both the majority and minority leaders, would create the Compassion,...more

Cozen O'Connor

The ADA and Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana: Top 5 Pitfalls for Healthcare Employers

Cozen O'Connor on

Navigating the landscape of reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) can be particularly challenging to clients in the healthcare industry. ...more

Mintz - Employment Viewpoints

Employing Medical Marijuana Users – Does Federal Law Give Employers a Pass?

Until a few cases over the last year, courts appeared to be just fine maintaining the paradox that while individuals could lawfully treat their disabilities with licensed medical marijuana use, employers could choose to pass...more

Foley & Lardner LLP

“High” Stakes for Employers Dealing With Evolving Cannabis Laws

Foley & Lardner LLP on

The evolving legalization of marijuana for both medical and recreational uses continues to cause workplace issues for employers. Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana, and 32 states...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

A Potential P[l]ot Twist For Medical Marijuana And The ADA

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: A recently-filed lawsuit in the federal district court in Arizona alleges that an employee’s use of medical marijuana may be permissible under the federal Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Although the...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Food and Beverage Law Update: August 2017

Holland & Knight LLP on

Wage and Hour - Tenth Circuit Aligns with Cumbie on Tip Credits - In Marlow v. New Food Guy, Inc., No. 16-1134, 861 F. 3d 1157 (10th Cir. June 30, 2017), the court affirmed the district court's ruling, consistent with...more

Miles & Stockbridge P.C.

What Were They Smoking? Massachusetts Supreme Court Becomes First State Court to Find Employers Must Accommodate Use of Medical...

As the number of states legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes has steadily grown, employers have been anxiously asking whether they are required to accommodate the use of medical marijuana if the use is related...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

Thinking Out Loud About Medical Marijuana And Reasonable Accommodation

(When I think out loud, beware.)- Ellen Kearns’ discussion of last week’s decision in Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing, in which the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that employers may have to accommodate...more

Zelle  LLP

Employment Law Navigator – Week in Review: July 2017 #4

Zelle LLP on

Last week, HR Dive reported on a Washington federal court’s June order requiring that a public employer pay $1.8 million to a terminated employee. The worker was fired when she failed a drug test due to her lawful use of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rules That Employers May Need To Accommodate Off-Duty Medical Marijuana Use

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: On July 17, 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court held that an employer could be liable under the Massachusetts Anti-Discrimination Act for disability discrimination by declining employment based...more

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

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Issues Groundbreaking Decision Allowing Medical Marijuana User to Assert State Law Handicap...

On July 17, 2017, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a unanimous ruling in Barbuto v. Advantage Sales and Marketing, LLC, allowing medical marijuana users to assert claims for handicap discrimination under the...more

Sherman & Howard L.L.C.

It’s Reasonable to Employ Marijuana Users

A requested accommodation for a disability is not unreasonable as a matter of law just because it is illegal under federal law, says the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in a recent case. As applied there, the result is...more

FordHarrison

Florida Enacts Law to Implement Provisions of its Medical Marijuana Amendment, but Significant Questions Remain for Employers

FordHarrison on

Recently, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law a bill intended to implement provisions of the medical marijuana constitutional amendment that was approved by Florida voters last November (Amendment 2). The new law...more

Fisher Phillips

Marijuana For Everyone? Society’s Changing Attitude Reflected In Workplace Practices

Fisher Phillips on

We’ve entered a new era of acceptance when it comes to the legally permitted use of marijuana. As of today, 28 states have legalized medical use of the drug, and eight states permit its recreational use. With over half of the...more

Stinson LLP

Emerging Trends Newsletter - Q4

Stinson LLP on

The Volcker Rule Under the Trump Administration - The so-called Volcker Rule—named after Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board—was part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection...more

Cozen O'Connor

2016/2017 Labor & Employment Observer

Cozen O'Connor on

Activist NLRB Created More Problems For All Employers in 2016 - What Happens Under President Trump? During 2016, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or the Board) maintained its generally pro-union, anti-employer...more

Akerman LLP - HR Defense

Medical Marijuana and the Workplace

With the growing list of states legalizing marijuana, are workplace drug policies up in smoke? As the new year begins, Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota join the growing list of states that have legalized medical marijuana....more

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