“Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis criminalization.”
The post Updated NORML Report Highlights Over 2.3 Million Marijuana-Related Expungements appeared first on NORML.
Seventy-nine percent of veteran respondents and 92 percent of their family members said, “Veterans Administration doctors should be legally allowed to recommend marijuana to veterans if the doctor believes the patient could benefit from [it.]”
The post Survey: Most Veterans Support Expanding Medical Cannabis Access appeared first on NORML.
The new law states, “It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in the initial hiring for employment if the discrimination is based upon the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.”
The post Washington: New State Law Takes Effect Barring Pre-Employment Marijuana Testing for Most Employees appeared first on NORML.
Starting January 1st, most employers will no longer be able to either fire or refuse to hire someone based solely upon their cannabis use history.
The post California: Employees to No Longer Face Discrimination at Work for Their Off-Hours Cannabis Use appeared first on NORML.
Adults may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis flowers and/or up to one-quarter of an ounce of concentrates from licensed retailers beginning January 1st.
The post Nevada: New Marijuana Possession Limits Set to Take Effect appeared first on NORML.
“Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” the President announced. “It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
The post POTUS Issues Expanded Pardon Proclamation for Those with Certain Federal Marijuana Convictions appeared first on NORML.
“It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of ‘what we don’t know’ and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.”
The post Scientists Have Published Over 30,000 Papers on Cannabis Over the Past Decade appeared first on NORML.
“The limited popularity of these products is a predictable outgrowth of criminal marijuana prohibition. As one would expect, there exists far less demand for these unregulated products in an environment where whole-plant cannabis legally regulated and available.”
The post Analysis: Consumers More Likely to Use Unregulated Delta-8-THC Products in States Where Cannabis Is Criminalized appeared first on NORML.
Starting next year, most Californians will be protected by a Cal NORML-sponsored bill which states that employers may not refuse to hire, fire, or penalize an employee based on the results of hair or urine tests for marijuana. A second law disallows asking about past marijuana use by prospective employees.
The new law (AB 2188 – GC 12954) will prohibit employers from discriminating against a person who has tested positive for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their urine, hair, or bodily fluids. It allows employees who have experienced discrimination to institute civil action for damages and other relief against their employers.
The law does not interfere with employers’ right to maintain a drug-free workplace. It allows for other kinds of tests that can indicate actual impairment on the job, such as computer-based performance tests, and chemical tests for active THC in oral fluid, breath or blood that are a better indicator of recent use. Many major drug testing providers are offering urine tests that do not detect marijuana, and oral swab or breathalyzer tests, which are less invasive than urine or hair tests.
Not protected by the law are workers in the building and construction trades, and employees subject to federal drug-testing rules, like commercial truck drivers. Companies that accept federal grants or funding are often required to follow the Drug-Free Workplace Act, but this does not require drug testing, only disallowing drug use on the job. The federal government has approved oral-swab testing to replace urine testing for truck drivers and other federal workers, but has not yet approved any labs to process oral swab tests.
A second law, SB 700 (Bradford), amended GC 12954 to disallow employers from asking about past marijuana use. SB 700 will take effect on January 1, 2024, along with AB 2188. There are exceptions in the law for employers who may ask about an applicant’s conviction history under information under GC 12952 (the Fair Chance Act) or other state or federal law.
The reforms are the result of a multi-year effort by California NORML, the state chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer commented, “Testing or threatening to test bodily fluids for cannabis metabolites has been the most common way that employers harass and discriminate against employees who lawfully use cannabis in the privacy of their own homes. These new laws will end that practice without impacting workplace safety. Numerous studies have found that workers who test positive for cannabis metabolites have no higher risk of workplace accidents.”
Californians who have been discriminated against due to off-the-job cannabis use, whether via pre-employment screening or being disciplined or fired as an employee, can file a complaint with the CA Civil Rights Department, and contact Cal NORML to make a complaint and possibly be connected with a private attorney who could help file a claim, once administrative remedies have been exhausted and a right to sue has been established with the CRD.
Download a Fact Sheet for Employees
Download a Fact Sheet for Employers
Read background on the law
Since the late 1990s, self-reported annual marijuana use by 12th graders has fallen an estimated 25 percent. Among 10th graders, it has fallen by 50 percent. Among 8th graders, it has fallen by more than half.
The post Federally Funded Survey: Marijuana Use By Teens Remains Below Pre-Pandemic Levels appeared first on NORML.