As people begin to filter back into the office after a year-and-a-half in Zoom exile, the growing ranks of recreational cannabis users might want to take a peek at their employee handbook before lighting up.
Marijuana, which went from a controlled substance to a booming industry in Illinois during the pandemic, may still get you fired.
Potentially outdated cannabis employment policies could turn a socially acceptable weekend pot party into grounds for dismissal. With cannabis detectable by some tests for up to 30 days, even a dalliance can have career consequences.
But with an ongoing labor shortage and a sea change in sentiment for marijuana use, the onus may be on employers to get with the times.
“Employers are having to look at this issue and reevaluate because in places they can’t hire qualified people,” said Eric Berlin, an attorney with the Chicago-based cannabis legal team at the law firm Dentons. “People are saying this is legal, and I like to do this more than I want a beer. And so I’m just not going to work for you.”
Illinois legalized recreational marijuana in January 2020. Then the pandemic hit, work from home became the norm and the marijuana industry blossomed. That has forced many companies to rethink cannabis employment policies, with everything from testing to zero-tolerance on the table. [Read More @ The Chicago Tribune]
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