Workplace Protections For DC Medical Marijuana Patients Extended Under Emergency Bill

With a Washington, D.C. law protecting local government employees against workplace discrimination due to their use of medical marijuana set to expire next month, lawmakers passed emergency legislation on Tuesday that temporarily extends the policy. Councilmember David Grosso (D) introduced a resolution that triggers the emergency bill extending the workplace policy for 90 days after the mayor signs it. He also filed temporary legislation that would further extend it by 230 days but, unlike an emergency bill, that would have to go through the more time-consuming committee process. Both the resolution and an accompanying emergency measure were unanimously approved by the District Council. The resolution notes the the current medical marijuana workplace protections approved last year are set to expire on June 5 and “no permanent legislation is in place because the work on the permanent legislation was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic response.” The circumstances “constitute emergency…making it necessary that the Medical Marijuana Program Patient Employment Protection Emergency Amendment Act of 2020 be adopted after a single reading,” the resolution continues. Under the emergency bill, “a public employer may not refuse to hire, terminate from employment, penalize, fail to promote, or otherwise take adverse employment action against an individual based upon the individual’s status as a qualifying patient unless the individual used, possessed, or was impaired by marijuana at the individual’s place of employment or during the hours of employment.” There are exemptions to the drug testing ban for workers in safety sensitive positions or in situations where “compliance…

Excerpt only …
READ MORE BELOW
Source : MJ moment
Link to original : Workplace Protections For DC Medical Marijuana Patients Extended Under Emergency Bill
reposted by Cannabis News World