Members of the DC City Council recently voted 13 to zero to advance legislation, the Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act of 2022, protecting those who use cannabis from facing discrimination in the workplace.

The measure now awaits action from Mayor Muriel Bowser. The act then will undergo a Congressional review, as does all legislation passed by the DC City Council.

The Act prohibit employers, with certain exceptions, from “refus[ing] to hire, terminat[ing] from employment, suspend[ing], fail[ing] to promote, demot[ing], or penalize[ing] an individual” due to an individual’s:

1. “use of cannabis,”
2. “status as a medical cannabis program patient,” or
3. having “the presence of cannabinoid metabolites in [their] bodily fluids in an employer-required or requested drug test without additional factors indicating impairment.” “Impairment” for purposes of the Bill is defined as where “the employee manifests specific articulable symptoms while working, or during the employee’s hours of work, that substantially decrease or lessen the employee’s performance of the duties or tasks of the employee’s job position, or such specific articulable symptoms interfere with an employer’s obligation to provide a safe and healthy workplace as required by District or federal occupational safety and health law.”

The bill’s protections do not extend to employees whose “position is designated as safety sensitive.” The legislation defines a “safety sensitive” position as “an employment position...

Read Full Story: https://norml.org/blog/2022/06/17/district-of-columbia-council-advances-legis...