Nevada bans Employers Testing Job Applicants For Marijuana

https://themindunleashed.com/2019/06/nevada-bans-employers-testing-workers-weed.html

Snippet:
(TMU) — In a move that could blaze a small but important trail for workers’ rights across the U.S., Nevada has passed a bill telling employers and state agencies that they can no longer refuse to hire workers on the basis of their testing positive for cannabis. It’s a long way to come for a state that was once infamous for its notoriously strong prohibitionist laws penalizing those in possession of marijuana.

Last week, Governor Steve Sisolak signed AB 132, which prohibits the denial of employment to cannabis consumers after drug pre-screenings. Advocates are hailing the passage of the bill because it finally clears a major gap in the law between states that have rendered marijuana totally legal for medical or recreational purposes and those U.S. companies that try to block their workers from toking up at all.
Read The Rest Here: https://themindunleashed.com/2019/06/nevada-bans-employers-testing-workers-weed.html

 

From what I have read/heard there is still a huge loophole for employers. If you drive or operate machinery they still can and that's just one example.

 

I think for some industries there should be exceptions, especially drivers and machine operators.

 

I began my pre-employment drug screening in 1988 and was in one of the first professions (Air Traffic) subjected to random testing. If I complained about it my friends just said they should test anyone doing my job. To which I would respond, “Which professions do you want to be doing drugs, other than artists and musicians?” Employers should evaluate performance, not lifestyle choices.

 

Politicians.

 

The problem is weed stays in your body for 6-8 weeks. You're not high for a month.

 

The feds still call Marijuana a schedule 1 drug. So, any job that has a tie to federal regulations likely still is subject to testing. Cdl drivers, utility workers, etc.

 

Healthcare workers - nurses, surgeons etc. any organization accepting federal money like Medicare and Medicaid are not likely exempt. I have mixed feeling about marijuana that would just stir up a hornets nest if I voiced my opinions for the yes and the no. Some people get very passionate about their pot. I am not against legalizing it but I do think their should be some exceptions about employer testing.

 

There are employers who have a requirement that you must be a non-smoker (as in tobacco), so as far as I'm concerned, if an employer wants to ban cannabis use, that's just as valid.

 

Very true - we had to take a test for nicotine. Our hospital does not hire smokers. Some are Grandfathered but their health insurance is much more costly. There are enough studies that say marijuana is also not good for our lungs.

 

It's going to be interesting, what with the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, how will this impact the NFL. I think that their stance is evolving, but this may force the issue.

 

I'm not sure how? There are NFL teams in many of the other states where medicinal & recreational marijuana are legal, how would the Raiders moving to Vegas change that?

[Legitimate question - I don't live in a state where it's legal, but CA, WA, & CO at a minimum all have NFL teams and legal marijuana.....There could be issues I don't think about since I don't follow football]

 

Good point. But doesn't the NFL test for marijuana? They used to.

 

Yes they do... the players just won't listen to Stephan A:

 

Ah, now I see the point - it's the law against employers testing for marijuana....I imagine there will be loopholes, clarifications, and/or lawsuits from many of the various industries mentioned already in this thread....

 

I finally went and read the article. It says this for pre-employment testing. Quote from the article...
"Safety-sensitive positions including first responders such as firefighters and EMTs, doctors, transportation and construction workers are exempt from the bill, as are workers who belong to collective bargaining agreements—which bars union workers who are extant across numerous industries in Nevada, according to Merry Jane. Additionally, federal law demands that workers like truck drivers must take drug tests."

 

Thank you! Reading is fundamental ;-) We should all know better!

 

They still do. It's bound to be an issue in collective bargaining next round.

 

It's a really messy area right now, because there is an approved epilepsy drug, Epidiolex, that is marijuana-derived. When you combine that with the Farm Bill, which de-scheduled certain cannabis/hemp products, and some vague attempts to clarify their position, but it's all a bit incoherent.

That said, I can tell you categorically that most of the companies have stopped testing for it. If you're not in a safety-related or federally-regulated position, truly nobody cares much anymore.