Medical Marijuana Employment Protections (H 5021)

While current Rhode Island law prohibits employment discrimination based upon a medical marijuana patient’s status as a cardholder, some employers have claimed that they can fire or not hire a cardholder who tests positive for marijuana on a drug test. The ACLU filed a successful lawsuit on behalf of a Rhode Island resident facing this exact issue, but some employers still make that discredited argument. This legislation would have both clarified the law and ensured that a positive drug test cannot become a roundabout way of firing or refusing to employ a patient who is lawfully using medical marijuana. This bill unfortunately died in committee.