News & Analysis as of

Marijuana Employer Liability Issues Drug Testing

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Should Employers Discipline Workers for Suspected Marijuana Use Without a Drug Test?

Drug testing for marijuana has never been an exact science. There is no consensus on what level of marijuana in the bloodstream constitutes intoxication. Unlike alcohol, employees who used marijuana weeks ago or longer can...more

Saul Ewing LLP

Third Circuit Rules That Employees Cannot Sue Employers for Discrimination Based on Marijuana Use

Saul Ewing LLP on

On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held that New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act (“CREAMMA”) does not provide workers with a private...more

Littler

Third Circuit Affirms That New Jersey’s Cannabis Law Does Not Allow a Private Right of Action

Littler on

On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the New Jersey district court’s previous ruling that there is no private right of action under New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Drug Test Woes: State Law Protections for Employee Cannabis Use May Not Protect Them After All

The changing landscape of the cannabis industry is keeping employers on their toes nationwide. As more and more states expand the legalization of cannabis products, we are also seeing a trend in the cannabis statutes for...more

Tucker Arensberg, P.C.

New City of Pittsburgh Ordinance Prohibits Drug Testing for Some Prospective and Current Employees Certified to Use Medical...

Tucker Arensberg, P.C. on

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 37 states—including Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania legalized the use of medical marijuana in 2016 when it adopted the Medical Marijuana Act (“the Act”), which legalized...more

Littler

Psychedelics and Marijuana on the Ballot: How Should Employers Prepare for Potential Legalization?

Littler on

Voters in several states will decide whether marijuana or, in one case, psychedelic substances should be legal in the upcoming November 5, 2024 general election. Employers should keep their eyes on these ballot measures and...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Federal Appeals Court Upholds “Zero-Tolerance” Cannabis Policy Under North Carolina Law

When you work in the cannabis business, you get used to answering questions that don’t always make sense. One question we get most often is whether an employee can use a legal product that nonetheless may cause the employee...more

Littler

Pittsburgh Ordinance Bans Tests for Many Prospective and Current Employees Who Use Medical Marijuana

Littler on

On September 24, 2024, the Pittsburgh City Council passed a new ordinance prohibiting discrimination against an individual’s status as a medical marijuana patient. Mayor Ed Gainey signed the ordinance the same day, making it...more

McGlinchey Stafford

The End of Zero-Tolerance Drug Policies

McGlinchey Stafford on

Zero-tolerance drug policies in the workplace are an endangered species. Traditional drug laws and policies as they relate to the workplace are being upended, and employers are increasingly struggling to grapple with the...more

Littler

Employer Zero-Tolerance Marijuana Policy Justified Termination, Federal District Court Agrees

Littler on

Zero-tolerance marijuana policies are not unlawful in Illinois, a federal district court has determined, providing greater clarity for employers. In late 2019, Illinois amended its marijuana law, the Cannabis Regulation and...more

Poyner Spruill LLP

Fourth Circuit Affirms Termination of Employee for Alleged Lawful THC Consumption

Poyner Spruill LLP on

North Carolina employees are increasingly testing positive for illegal marijuana use while contending that they were only using legal hemp-derived products sold over the counter in this State. Some employees assert that these...more

Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP

Lawful Products Statutes Complicate Employers' Response to Employees' Claims of CBD Use

Over the past year, we have encountered a growing number of claims raised by applicants and employees who allege that positive drug test results for marijuana were actually the result of their use of legal hemp products...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Because I Got High: Settlement Reached in Terminated Hemp User’s Disability Bias Suit

When can you rely on a positive drug test to terminate an employee? If the employee suggests a reason for a false positive, like hemp use, can you still side with the drug test? The Sixth Circuit’s decision in Fisher v....more

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

Jackson Lewis P.C.

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Recommends Rescheduling Marijuana To Schedule III, Similar to Tylenol With Codeine

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will recommend that marijuana should be rescheduled from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, according to an announcement made April 30, 2024 by the U.S. Department of Justice. ...more

Epstein Becker & Green

Court Clarifies Employers’ Rights Under Connecticut’s Palliative Use of Marijuana Act, Guidance on Drug Testing

Epstein Becker & Green on

In a recent decision affirming summary judgment in favor of defendant Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. (the “Agency”), the Connecticut Appellate Court (decision.pdf) provided employers with useful guidance about...more

Littler

Connecticut Employers Can Terminate Employees Impaired by Medical Marijuana While Working; Appellate Court Also Provides Guidance...

Littler on

In a significant decision about workplace drug use, the Connecticut Appellate Court backed an employer’s right to terminate a worker who was impaired on the job by medical marijuana. The decision also clarified the factual...more

Weintraub Tobin

(Podcast) California Employment News: Expanded Workplace Protections Regarding Cannabis Use

Weintraub Tobin on

New laws in 2024 expand workplace protections for employees regarding their current and past cannabis use. Nikki Mahmoudi and Tomiwa Aina review these changes, previewed in our 2024 Employment Law Update seminars, in this...more

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

A Cautionary Tale Regarding the “Reasonable Belief” Doctrine

On January 31, the Sixth Circuit published a cautionary tale regarding the “reasonable belief” doctrine involving an employer that fired a disabled employee for a positive drug test for “marijuana.”...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

McGlinchey Stafford

10 Employee Handbook Resolutions for 2024

McGlinchey Stafford on

The start of a new year is always a good time to reevaluate the employee handbook to ensure it covers all the relevant legal and practical topics in the modern workplace. The following are 10 “Handbook Resolutions” for...more

DarrowEverett LLP

How 2024 Employment Law Updates Affect Your Wallet, Unions & More

DarrowEverett LLP on

As could be expected in 2023, employers have had to adapt to an ever-changing landscape of employment laws, regulations, and in the case of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) a growing library of general counsel...more

Winthrop & Weinstine, P.A.

2023 Employment Law Changes — And Steps To Take Before 2024

The 2023 legislative session saw a substantial number of changes to employment laws in Minnesota. As you and your business enter 2024, the team at Winthrop & Weinstine has prepared a summary of the changes that may impact...more

Perkins Coie

Update: New Washington Law Protects Job Applicants’ Off-Duty Marijuana Use

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Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use. What Is Prohibited? Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more

Perkins Coie

New Washington Law Protects Job Applicants’ Off-Duty Marijuana Use

Perkins Coie on

Beginning in 2024, both Washington and California will prohibit employers from basing hiring decisions on an applicant’s legal marijuana use. What Is Prohibited? Effective January 1, 2024, employers are prohibited...more

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