Salem Employers in Oregon would be prohibited from banning marijuana use by employees during their days off under a bill introduced in the state Senate.
The bill is among several that cover marijuana, the recreational use of which was legalized in a statewide ballot measure in 2014.
Bill No. 301 would make it unlawful for employers to condition employment on refraining from using any substance that is lawful to use in Oregon.
Measure 91 legalized recreational marijuana in the state, but it did not affect existing employment law.
The bill aims to amend a state law about the use of tobacco to include cannabis and any other substance that is legal in the state. But if a collective bargaining agreement prohibits off-duty use of such substances, that rule would take precedence.
Some other pot-related bills in the Senate and House would:
- Change the name of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates and licenses recreational marijuana, to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission;
- Provide for the OLCC to regulate the consumption and sale of marijuana items at -temporary events;
- Establish a task force that would identify existing legal barriers to consuming cannabis in social settings. The task force would, among other duties, also identify opportunities for consumption by residents and visitors of cannabis in social settings and evaluate their economic potential;
- Waive fees for medical marijuana cards for veterans who have serious disabilities incurred or aggravated during military service;
- Tax retail sales of marijuana seeds and;
- Establish an Oregon Cannabis Commission to fulfill duties, functions and powers -relating to medical marijuana use, and removing those duties from the -Oregon Health Authority.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Workers Couldn’t Be Barred From Smoking Marijuana Off-Hours Under Oregon Senate Bill
Author: Andrew Selsky
Contact: The Register-Guard
Photo Credit: Ryan Kang
Website: The Register-Guard
