DC passes law protecting employees from failed drug tests

The DC City Council has taken a step forward to protect employees from marijuana restrictions. On Tuesday, lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that would prevent employers from firing employees who fail marijuana tests. In order to pass, the bill would need to be approved by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

The bill, known as the Cannabis Employment Protections Amendment Act of 2022, will protect workers from discrimination based on marijuana use, with some exceptions.

Should it come into force, employers would have 60 days to inform workers and potential workers of their new rights.

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While the bill protects most workers, there are some parameters. The draft law does not protect employees in security-sensitive professions or people who work in courts and the federal government. It also prohibits “possession, storage, delivery, transfer, display, transportation, sale, purchase, or cultivation of cannabis at the employee’s workplace.”

Use of marijuana in the workplace is an issue that has caused problems in a number of states that have legal marijuana programs. Because the drug remains illegal at the federal level, most workplaces use their own rules and good judgment when it comes to their employees and marijuana use. This has led to layoffs and complicated legal issues that have been brought to court.

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Legal marijuana was legalized in DC in 2015. While it is still illegal to sell or use marijuana in public places or to drive vehicles while under the influence of the drug, anyone over the age of 21 can grow marijuana in their homes, own rolling paper and bongs, and own up to two ounces of marijuana without fear of repercussions.