Special Topics in Safety Management

It May Be Legal, but Is It Safe? Marijuana at Work

At this moment, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, and Washington and Colorado have famously legalized the plant for recreational use, too. Alaska and Oregon will become the next states where recreational marijuana is legal after voters approved cannabis ballot measures set to become effective in 2015. Under federal law, however, recreational use of the drug remains illegal, pitting employers’ drug-free workplace policies against workers whose marijuana use is, under state law, perfectly legal.

Workers who are using any kind of chemical or pharmaceutical to treat a medical condition should take the following precautions:

Do you have to hire or retain marijuana users?

Generally speaking, employers in states with medical marijuana laws can still prohibit marijuana use in the workplace. Employers with “zero tolerance” workplace substance abuse policies can rely on the illegality of marijuana under the federal Controlled Substances Act, even if individuals using medical marijuana may be released from criminal liability under state law.

Only three states—Arizona, Connecticut, and Rhode Island—have codified specific protections for employees while they are at work.


Learn to speed up improvements in safety performance among employees at your facility. Join us on Friday, February 27 for an online webinar, Accelerators of Safety Excellence.


Do disability laws protect medical marijuana users?

Workers who legally use medical marijuana are not protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), because such protection would be at odds with the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Because of this, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has held that the ADA does not protect against discrimination based on medical marijuana use, even if that use is in accordance with state law authorizing such use.


Attend this webinar to learn the 8 safety excellence accelerators to improve safety performance. During the webinar you’ll learn how to generate support from upper management to pursue safety excellence. Register Now!


Marijuana use, impairment, and the drug-free workplace

If you have employees who have identified themselves as medical marijuana users—and you have a drug-free workplace policy—tread carefully. Bear in mind that the drug stays in an individual’s system for an average of 13 days after use, so a worker can test positive for marijuana without actually being impaired.

If you can show that an employee was impaired when the drug test was administered (the test showed elevated levels of drug use consistent with impairment, or you had a reasonable suspicion of impairment based on the employee’s appearance or behavior), you will most likely be able to prove the employee violated your drug policy.

Symptoms of impairment include (but are not limited to) effects on speech, walking, or appearance, carelessness, and involvement in an accident. Document any effects you observe that suggest a worker was actively under the influence of marijuana at the time of testing.

Find out more ways to ensure that your workers are always at their best at Safety.BLR.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.