Colorado and Washington state voters have passed historic measures to legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults.By approving Amendment 64, Colorado became the first state to end marijuana prohibition in the United States.Meanwhile, Washington state voters passed Initiative 502, which regulates and taxes sales of small amounts of marijuana for adults. Under the soon-to-be implemented Washington state law, adults in the state may now possess up to an ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of marijuana products and 72 ounces of liquid infused marijuana products.Neither initiative changes the ability of employers to maintain their current employment policies, nor does it prevent them from creating whatever policies they see fit. Additionally, nothing changes as far as workplace drug testing because it has never been based on the assumption that the user was doing something illegal under a criminal law – instead it has always been based on safety and the efficiency of your workforce. The ramifications will be closely watched throughout the country, as federal law remains unchanged defining marijuana as an illegal drug.
Read more
