The landscape of tobacco product and cannabis flavor bans or restrictions varies significantly across the country. In both industries, some states restrict all or some flavors in all types of products, while other states...more
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently upheld, in a unanimous decision, the town of Brookline’s ordinance banning the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products to anyone born after Jan. 1, 2000 (the Tobacco...more
The possession and use of marijuana by persons who are at least 21 years old is now legal in New York, as is the sale of marijuana and other cannabis products by New York State licensed dispensaries. However, a number of our...more
Medical marijuana has been on the scene for a while, but Marylanders recently voted to legalize recreational cannabis. Starting July 1, 2023, adults 21 and older may legally possess up to 1.5 ounces of usable cannabis and...more
Massive legislation legalizing marijuana in Virginia became law July 1, 2021. The legislation ranges from legalization of marijuana to expungement of criminal records involving marijuana offenses to funding a public awareness...more
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Virginia General Assembly had a busy 2021 session that consisted of a regular session and a subsequent special session during which it passed many different pieces of legislation that...more
Several employment-related laws become effective October 1, 2021. As that date is upon us, employers may want to review and ensure consistency with these laws by making any applicable changes to their practices, policies, and...more
July 1 means new laws become effective in Virginia. The 2021 legislative session and special sessions were busy and resulted in sweeping changes—many of which impact Virginia community associations. Of significance to...more
The State of Texas officially banned the manufacture and sale of smokable hemp products and hemp vapor cartridges. Effective August 2, 2020, the Texas Department of State Health Services (the “DSHS”) issued a final rule...more
As the year draws to a close, employers are assessing the next wave of labor and employment laws and regulations they will face in 2020 and beyond. Most new laws taking effect at the end of 2019 and throughout 2020 are at the...more
The amendment, among other things, permits women over the age of 21 to obtain passports and travel abroad without the need to secure the permission of their “guardians,” and also seeks to create equality as between males and...more
With more than 1,000 reported cases in 48 states, government agencies are scrambling to investigate and are advising consumers to avoid e-cigarettes and other vaping products. Even as a new regulatory landscape begins forming...more
The home page of a Web site dedicated to disclosing the dangers of e-cigarettes features a pensive picture of a Justin Bieber-esque teen who possibly could be thinking about taking a puff off a Juul device. The site,...more
In response to the growing crisis around vaping-related illness, Governor Baker has declared a public health crisis and issued a four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products in Massachusetts. The state’s Public Health...more
Georgia’s Smoke-Free Air Act and Atlanta’s current smoking ordinances allow smoking only in establishments that deny access to minors or have a private room for smokers with an air-handling system separate from the main air...more
Every year, there are numerous state laws and local ordinances that take effect after the first of the year — and 2019 is no exception. Indeed, if anything, this year has seen a dramatic surge in the number of measures...more
Many major cities have passed laws prohibiting smoking in public areas. However, smoking still remains a challenge for musicians who perform in smoke-filled clubs in cities lacking those laws. But even if smokers can’t...more
If you don’t want your work event to go up in smoke, there are some property rules you need to know when it comes to cannabis use. Originally published in The Press-Enterprise and other Southern California Newspaper Group...more
E-cigarettes and vaping have received a very mixed reception in New York. While the multiplying number of vape shops and booming e-cigarette sales would suggest a surefire rise for the industry in our State, growing...more
On January 17, 2018, Florida’s new governor, Ron DeSantis, delivered news that could supercharge the growth of Florida’s medical-cannabis industry. Governor DeSantis indicated he may drop the State’s appeal from a trial...more
Are smokers in a protected class? Can a company refuse to hire them? After all, studies have repeatedly shown that smokers have higher absenteeism, are less productive and carry higher healthcare costs than non-smokers....more
This post marks the end of our series on recent activity by the New York State Legislature in the health sector, and follows posts on legislation impacting the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals , long term care and aging,...more
Every year state laws and local ordinances take effect after the first of the year, and 2018 is no exception. As always, Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI) has been tracking these developments....more
Keeping up with compliance requirements under Pennsylvania and federal laws can be challenging enough; however, for Pennsylvania employers that do business in multiple states, the compliance burden can grow exponentially. It...more