Ohio Employers Need Not Be Hazy About Marijuana in the Workplace

Sarah Moore’s article “Ohio Employers Need Not Be Hazy About Marijuana in the Workplace” was featured in Crain’s Cleveland Business on October 29, 2015.

Every employer in Ohio and surrounding states must now begin to develop workplace controls to fully address the legalization of marijuana in Ohio. To be most effective and legally defensible, these controls should be more expansive than simple revisions to current drug-free workplace and testing policies.

Key to these efforts is understanding that marijuana, medical or recreational, is still illegal under federal law. Ohio’s legalization does not provide a recognized legal defense to investigation or enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Justice, but, should issue 3 pass into the state’s constitution, any type of regulation a company sets could be legally challenged by an employee if adverse employment action takes place.

In the article, Sarah addresses the following topics:

• Don't fear the reefer, employers
• Are Ohio employers about to embark on a long, strange trip?

To read the full article, please visit Crain’s Cleveland Business.