California voters legalized pot in 2016. But for many seeking jobs in state government, cannabis use has become an obstacle to getting hired.
Now, a spike in the number of job applicants disqualified by state agencies after failing tests for marijuana use has spawned calls for new legislation and debate over whether employment rules should be relaxed given more widespread acceptance of the drug.
The proposed medical marijuana bill that would raise patient caps for doctors and clarify that private employers don’t need to allow marijuana use received a favorable recommendation from a Senate committee Tuesday.
Medical marijuana could get a vote on the Kentucky House floor as soon as this week.
Last Wednesday, HB 136 passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on a 17-1 vote. However, the bill got some criticism - from both opponents and supporters.
Rep. Kimberly Moser voted against the bill because she wants more studies done on the effects of medical marijuana.
Last year wasn't a great one for advancing marijuana legalization at the state level. Despite high hopes for New Jersey and New York, state legislatures in Trenton and Albany couldn't quite get their acts together, and promising efforts petered out. Illinois was the only state to approve marijuana legalization in 2019.
Washington House lawmakers Sunday passed a bill intended to address racial inequity within the cannabis industry by issuing previously forfeited, canceled and revoked retail licenses to applicants of a new social equity program.
President Trump proposed a budget that will end the existing protection policy for state medical marijuana programs. Yesterday, in Trump Denies Protection to State Medical Marijuana Programs, I discussed how President Trump wants to ignore Congress’s introduced policy to protect the states that have legalized marijuana from federal interference. However, Congress decided to fight back against President Trump.
Marijuana could become legal in New York this year, but the form that legislation takes has yet to be determined.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is “all in on this. He wants to get this done,” said Darren “Hal” McCabe, executive director of the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources and mayor of the village of Homer. “He likes to be first, and he likes to lead. So I’m very confident that it’s going to get done this year, but I’m not sure what form it’s going to be in.”
A Kentucky House committee voted today to add Kentucky to the list of at least 33 other states with a government-regulated medicinal marijuana program.
The program would be established under House Bill 136, sponsored by Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, and Rep. John Sims Jr., D-Flemingsburg, approved today by the House Judiciary Committee. The bill sets out policies for cultivation, processing, sale, distribution and use of medicinal marijuana, should HB 136 become law.
Donald Trump has long claimed to support cannabis legalization.
Premier Doug Ford’s government said it is considering allowing cannabis lounges and cafes as it moves toward an open market for pot in the province, and is asking the public to weigh in on the proposal.
The government said Monday it will consult on the possibility of so-called “consumption venues” as well as special occasion permits that would apply to outdoor festivals and concerts.
In a posting on its regulatory registry, which closes March 10, the government said it wants to hear from the public before committing to any direction, and gave no timeline to make changes.
