The Illinois General Assembly passed the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act (“the Act”) (HB 1438) on May 31, 2019, legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. Governor J.B. Pritzker has stated he will sign the bill and it will take effect on January 1, 2020.  The Act will allow anyone over the age of 21 to possess, use, or buy marijuana.  More significantly, marijuana will be considered a “lawful product” for purposes of the Illinois Right to Privacy Act,…

A growing number of states have passed anti-discrimination laws pertaining to medical marijuana use. While medical marijuana is becoming widely legalized under state law, marijuana and its most identifiable active chemical, THC, remain listed as Schedule I drugs under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Still, the legalized marijuana market, and the science behind the research and development of new products, has come a long way. The marijuana industry now mass produces widely available extracts, oils,…

Beginning on January 1, 2020, it will be illegal to conduct pre-employment drug testing for marijuana in the state of Nevada. Assembly Bill No. 132 was signed into law by the governor on June 5, 2019. This makes Nevada the first state to enact such a law (although New York City became the first city to enact such a law, as we discussed in previous blog posts). The law provides that it “is unlawful…

In an effort to combat the ongoing opioid crisis and substance abuse, New York State’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2020 includes the nation’s first tax incentive program for certified employers who hire people recovering from substance use disorders in full-time or part-time positions. The purpose of the Recovery Tax Credit program is two-fold: to create a recovery-oriented culture in business and local communities, as well as encourage growth by increasing employment opportunities. Beginning in 2020,…

We previously blogged about the law passed by the New York City Council on April 9, 2019 that will prohibit employers from conducting pre-employment drug testing for marijuana. Because the law was not signed or vetoed by Mayor de Blasio within 30 days of passage, it became law on May 10, 2019. The law provides that it will take effect one year later. New York City employers therefore have until May 10, 2020 to get…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Clearinghouse will become operational on January 6, 2020, and FMCSA-regulated employers must be ready to comply with the Clearinghouse requirements on that date. The FMCSA Clearinghouse is an electronic database that will contain information about commercial motor vehicle drivers’ drug and alcohol program violations. Although the Clearinghouse rule actually took effect on January 4, 2017, the implementation date for FMCSA-regulated employers is January 6,…

The New Mexico medical marijuana law has been amended to provide employment protections to employees and applicants. The amendments were signed into law by the governor on April 4, 2019. The law now provides that “unless a failure to do so would cause the employer to lose a monetary or licensing-related benefit under federal law or federal regulations, it is unlawful to take an adverse employment action against an applicant or an employee based on…