On-the-job overdose deaths in the U.S. have increased 536% since 2011, making this kind of fatality a very real concern for employers. To help combat this alarming trend, the National Safety Council (NSC) launched a new workplace safety program, the Respond Ready Workplace. The program was designed to increase awareness of the need for naloxone […]
Recreational marijuana is legal in Maryland as of July 1, 2023, with the new law allowing adults 21 or older to use the drug while off duty as long as they don’t report to work while under the influence. The law also has some restrictions making it illegal to smoke in public areas, vehicles and […]
Minnesota has legalized recreational marijuana and will protect all employee off-duty use of cannabis beginning Aug. 1, 2023. The state has had a medical marijuana law since 2014 that prohibits discrimination against medical marijuana users. Under the new recreational marijuana law, individuals 21 years old or older are allowed to possess or transport up to […]
A Louisiana bill offering employment protections for medical marijuana patients was barely approved May 22, but a compromise cost those patients the ability to make workers’ compensation claims. House Bill 351 will protect medical marijuana users from losing unemployment benefits due to marijuana use, but the bill’s supporters had to sacrifice their attempt to allow […]
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has new regulations updating its drug testing requirements and allowing oral fluid testing for regulated drug and alcohol programs. However, employers won’t be able to include the oral fluid tests in their testing programs until the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) certifies at least two laboratories to […]
A new law prohibiting employers from making hiring decisions based on off-duty use of marijuana will take effect in the state of Washington next year. The new law, SB 5123, is effective Jan. 1, 2024, and will also prohibit employers from making hiring decisions based on positive pre-employment drug test results finding an applicant to […]
Kentucky is the most recent state to legalize medical marijuana, with residents being able to apply for a medical marijuana card with a written medical certification starting in 2025. Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill SB 47 into law on March 31, making it legal for Kentucky residents to use marijuana to treat qualified medical […]
Delaware is the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana, allowing individuals 21 years old and older to possess and recreationally use up to 1 ounce of marijuana. The law allows adults to possess and use 1 ounce or less of leaf marijuana, 12 grams or less of concentrated cannabis, or cannabis products containing 750 milligrams […]
With drug use and overdose deaths skyrocketing in the U.S. over the past few years and confusion over state laws and legalized marijuana, what can employers do to ensure there’s no impairment at work? In 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported “there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in […]
