The new law states, “It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in the initial hiring for employment if the discrimination is based upon the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.”
Tag: pre-employment
Under the new statewide policy, which takes effect on Sunday, October 1st, most public employees will no longer be required to undergo pre-employment marijuana testing.
The Michigan Civil Service Commission has voted unanimously to adopt new rules ending the practice of pre-employment marijuana screening for most state workers. Under the new policy, those previously denied positions because of a failed marijuana test are also now eligible to immediately reapply for employment.
“Policies that mandate would-be hires to undergo urine screens for past cannabis exposure are invasive, discriminatory, and ineffective. They neither identify workers who may be under the influence, nor do they contribute to a safe work environment.”
Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon M. Scott, said: “[O]utdated and costly pre-employment drug and alcohol screenings only served to block qualified and passionate residents from obtaining employment with the City. … I am grateful that we are making this change now so that we can continue to improve local government operations and better serve the people of Baltimore.”
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has signed municipal legislation into law prohibiting certain citywide employers from requiring prospective hires to pass a pre-employment drug screen. It takes effect on January 1, 2022.
Council members decided 15 to 1 in favor of the measure, which “prohibits employers from requiring prospective employees to undergo testing for the presence of marijuana as a condition of employment”
“Suspicionless marijuana testing never has been an evidence-based policy. Rather, these discriminatory practices are a holdover from the zeitgeist of the 1980s ‘war on drugs.’