Featured Presentation: Managing Medical Marijuana in the Workplace

Featured Presentation: Managing Medical Marijuana in the Workplace
April 9, 2010

Though medical marijuana was first legalized in California in 1996, until recently, the law for employers regarding medical marijuana patients kept a fairly low profile. It has become much more visible as an increasing number of states legalize medicinal marijuana and the pool of patients grows (14 states currently have legal medical marijuana programs.) The rapid growth in number of patients increases the chance that you as an employer, manager, or coworker, will come in contact with a medical marijuana patient in your workplace.

The issue hit the mainstream news when Joseph Casias, a medical marijuana patient prescribed for pain relief due to a rare form of brain cancer, was fired from his job at Wal-Mart after he failed a drug screening. A grassroots protest (including numerous blog posts and a Facebook Group) against his firing began and the incident soon gained national attention. An organization called the Marijuana Policy Project also called for a national boycott of Wal-Mart.  Articles from CNN and Newsweek highlight the new legal, ethical, and management challenges that arise due to legal use of medical marijuana.

This presentation from Green Streets and Chuck Passaglia takes a thorough and even handed look at medical marijuana, focusing on educating employers on the facts behind medical marijuana prescriptions, the law, and what it means for employers. Passaglia gives a fact-based background, dispelling marijuana myths and examining recent court decisions on medical marijuana in the workplace. While the disparity between federal and state law has created a legal gray area, consistency in judicial decisions allows Passaglia to delineate and communicate the law and rights of both employers and employees that are medical marijuana patients. If you are an employer in a state with legalized medical marijuana, are a current patient, or are just curious about how the law acts in regards to medical patients, this is a must see presentation.  Please note that there is a fee for viewing this entire educational course.

Green Streets (www.ourgreenstreetsblog.com) is a publisher and a social network that aggregates and distributes information, programs, and products concerning what affects sustainability of life on this planet. Green Streets publishes information on a variety of topics such as energy use and production, our carbon footprints, recycling and waste management, sustainable agriculture and food production, and building solutions that will better serve the world's population.

Chuck Passaglia is an employment law attorney and founder of Employment Law Solutions, who has represented both employers and employees in employment disputes. He sees both sides of workplace conflicts. Prior to forming Employment Law Solutions Inc., Chuck Passaglia had already presented hundreds of classes, seminars and lectures to businesses, non-profit organizations, and human resources' groups. He has also written frequently on employment law topics.