
Right-to-Weed States: Assessing Impairment and Managing Employee Conduct in the Workplace
On May 9, 2023, the Washington state governor signed a law that will…
June 9, 2023
Read Morearrow_forwardMay 9, 2021
On May 6, 2021, the Alabama legislature approved a medical marijuana legalization bill. Senate Bill (SB) 46, more commonly known as the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act, will now go to Governor Kay Ivey for final approval. Governor Ivey has not indicated that she will veto the bill, although a spokesperson for Governor Ivey has stated that she “look[s] forward to thoroughly reviewing it.”
If Governor Ivey signs the bill, it will go into effect immediately.
The bill lists 16 medical conditions and categories of conditions for which an individual would be eligible for a medical marijuana card in Alabama, such as Crohn’s disease, depression, epilepsy, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or “any condition” causing chronic pain where other treatment, including with opioids, have been ineffective.
Notably, the bill defines “medical cannabis” to exclude products that can be smoked and vaped, and marijuana-infused food products and to include other products such as oral tablets, gels, oils, creams, patches, or lozenges.
Importantly, unlike many other state medical marijuana legalization laws, the bill does not contain any express employment protections for medical marijuana cardholders. Instead, the bill’s language is employer-friendly in nature. With respect to employment, the bill specifically states that the bill does not:
Key Takeaways
In the absence of express employment protection language within the bill, employers likely may take adverse employment action against medical marijuana cardholders with minimal risk of violating the bill. However, Alabama employers may want to remain mindful that even if taking action against cardholders is lawful, cardholders may pursue disability discrimination and accommodation claims related to their marijuana use. Individuals must have a qualifying medical condition in order to be authorized to receive a medical marijuana card, and any of the 16 medical conditions that would make an individual eligible for a card likely would be considered a disability under disability discrimination laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Courts and administrative agencies around the country have regularly determined that medical marijuana cardholders may assert disability claims under state disability discrimination laws and, in some instances, the ADA. Therefore, Alabama employers should closely monitor this issue going forward.
With marijuana legalization being a new development in Alabama, court guidance and interpretation of the bill and related disability discrimination and accommodation claims will be critical.
Ogletree Deakins’ Drug Testing Practice Group will continue to monitor developments related to marijuana laws in the workplace and will provide updates on the Drug Testing blog. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar and podcast programs.
Further information on federal, state, and major locality marijuana laws and related issues affecting the workplace is available in the firm’s OD Comply: Marijuana subscription materials, which are updated and provided to OD Comply subscribers as the law changes.