Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
The Department of Labor is calling for clarity in state laws governing marijuana use as it affects the workplace.
Maine's citizen-initiated law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana raises more questions it answers. That was the message from Julie Rabinowitz of the Department of Labor to the marijuana legalization implementation committee in Augusta Monday.
"Clear statutes and rules will aid the department, employees and employers in understanding, applying the law and appropriately paying benefits. Maine's unemployment laws regarding a separation involving the use of marijuana are not clear cut," she says.
Rabinowitz says the law isn't clear about who has the responsibility for regulating workplace matters involving the use of pot, nor does it establish penalties for violating rights of employers or workers.
"Marijuana, because of the longevity in the blood, poses a very particular problem for employers, which is why we want to move toward a standard of impairment coupled with the drug test as opposed to the drug test alone," she says.
Rabinowitz says there are no appeal rights for employers or workers under the new law, and it does not address any existing laws governing drug testing.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Labor Department Wants Clarity in Marijuana Law for Workplaces | Maine Public
Author: Mal Leary
Contact: Contact Maine Public | Maine Public
Photo Credit: Getty images
Website: Maine Public | Maine's premier, independent public media resource.
Maine's citizen-initiated law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana raises more questions it answers. That was the message from Julie Rabinowitz of the Department of Labor to the marijuana legalization implementation committee in Augusta Monday.
"Clear statutes and rules will aid the department, employees and employers in understanding, applying the law and appropriately paying benefits. Maine's unemployment laws regarding a separation involving the use of marijuana are not clear cut," she says.
Rabinowitz says the law isn't clear about who has the responsibility for regulating workplace matters involving the use of pot, nor does it establish penalties for violating rights of employers or workers.
"Marijuana, because of the longevity in the blood, poses a very particular problem for employers, which is why we want to move toward a standard of impairment coupled with the drug test as opposed to the drug test alone," she says.
Rabinowitz says there are no appeal rights for employers or workers under the new law, and it does not address any existing laws governing drug testing.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Labor Department Wants Clarity in Marijuana Law for Workplaces | Maine Public
Author: Mal Leary
Contact: Contact Maine Public | Maine Public
Photo Credit: Getty images
Website: Maine Public | Maine's premier, independent public media resource.
