marijuana

Subscribe to marijuana via RSS

Two years ago, we detailed here legislative and other efforts in Texas to expand legal uses of cannabis.  The bill related to expanding Texas’ compassionate use registry for medical marijuana (still one of the narrowest in the nation) was successful; broader efforts at decriminalization or legalization were not.

2021 brings another legislative session (In Texas, the state legislature only meets in odd-numbered years and for a period of less than 5 months), and further prospects for opening up opportunities for the use of cannabis in the 2nd largest state in the country.

Over a dozen bills were “pre-filed” before the session began.

Here are some of the featured bills:Continue Reading Marijuana Legislation Progresses in…Texas?

Employers considering a tolerant attitude towards recreational cannabis in the workplace should consider safety hazards and legal liabilities. 

In the heyday of the two-martini lunch, employers regularly tolerated alcohol in the workplace or employees presumably impaired by alcohol returning to work.  Over the succeeding decades, employers began to concentrate on the business and legal liabilities imposed by drug and alcohol use and impairment in the workplace — including increased absenteeism, mistakes, sexual harassment, workplace violence, and accidents/injuries.  Employers also discovered that their insurance companies claimed exemptions for certain claims if the employee that created the issue had been consuming alcohol at work. As a result, employers largely began to adopt policies that prohibited employees from using or being under the influence of alcohol (and drugs) while at work.  Most employers since have prohibited alcohol and drugs entirely or restricted alcohol to occasional company Christmas parties and social functions.
Continue Reading Weed at Work: Should Employers Expand “Alcohol at Work” to Cover Recreational Cannabis?

The Illinois General Assembly passed SB 1557, revising the language of the Recreational Cannabis Law to reduce but not completely eliminate employer liabilities.

As we previously blogged, the Illinois Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (410 ILCS 705) (the “Legalization Act”) will legalize recreational cannabis for Illinois adults starting January 1, 2020. The Legalization Act specifically allows Illinois employers to…
Continue Reading Illinois General Assembly Passes Amendments to Recreational Cannabis Law That Help Reduce Employer Liability

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 is safe.
Continue Reading National Safety Council Endorses Zero Tolerance Prohibition on Cannabis/Marijuana for Safety-Sensitive Employees

Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana.

Who says you can’t fight city hall?  A researcher filed suit against the DEA, claiming the cannabis she was required to use in her work was “sub-par.”  But don’t expect lengthy litigation, because the agency just announced that they will allow…
Continue Reading The Week in Weed: August 20, 2019