California Legislature Considers Two Marijuana Bills This Month

CANNABIS CULTURE - Californians have a chance to make strides for human rights in the coming weeks in Sacramento with two important marijuana-related bills before the legislature. The two important bills must be voted on this month. SB129 (Leno) would grant employment rights to medical marijuana users, and AB1017 (Ammiano) would reduce penalties on marijuana cultivation.
Many are unaware the California Supreme Court has ruled that employers may fire anyone who fails a drug test, even legal medical marijuana patients. Sadly, many find this out only after they've lost their jobs. California NORML regularly receives calls from frantic workers in danger of job loss. In recent weeks we have heard from a manager at an electronics store, a bottler at a beer factory, and others who have been unfairly deemed unfit for work because they use marijuana medicinally.
Ironically, many tell us that it's marijuana that enables them to be productive workers, by managing their pain without opiates, or allowing them to sleep, or staving off migraine headaches. But unless they can stomach pharmaceutical medications for their ailments, they're out of luck when it comes to the job market.
This situation persists despite the fact that urine testing programs have been shown in study after study not to improve workplace safety. Alternatives like impairment testing are starting to gain ground, as trucking companies and others are looking for better and more immediate ways to reduce their accident rate. One company even markets their Alertometer as an iPhone app.

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Under SB129, employers would retain the right to take action against employees who were impaired on the job. Those in safety-sensitive positions and certain health-care workers could still be drug tested.

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