Megan Y. Carannante Discusses Need to Revisit Workplace Policies as Debate Over Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Heats Up

In a recent Fairfield County Business Journal article, Pullman & Comley Labor and Employment attorney Megan Y. Carannante discussed the need for altered workplace policies if recreational marijuana becomes legalized in Connecticut.  Although it remains an open question as to whether Connecticut will follow other states that have recently passed bills to legalize recreational marijuana, employers are already looking for information on what they need to do regarding their workplace policies.

Megan said that one of the big concerns is that "tests don't really show if you're under the influence of marijuana, like they do with alcohol, because cannabis remains in the system (longer)."  To combat this, she said that managers and supervisors should be trained to recognize signs that an employee may be under the influence at work.

And, while it's "very, very clear" that employers can prohibit any type of recreational marijuana use at work, Senate Bill 888 "says that nonwork-related recreational use, on their own time, is not something that the employer should discriminate against, or represent cause for discipline or termination," Megan said. She further noted that those who work for businesses with offices in different states need to pay attention to those states' laws.

To read more, access the full Fairfield County Business Journal article.