The Washington State Governor has signed into law a bill that protects workers from being subjected to discrimination in the hiring process because of their legal use of marijuana.
In a ceremony held on Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, gave his final approval of the legislation submitted by Sen. Karen Keiser. The bill was enacted into law about three weeks after the Legislature.
Reform is only applicable to job candidates. Inslee stated before signing the bill that employers could still maintain drug-free work environments or prohibit cannabis use by employees after they have been hired.
SB5123 aims to protect job applicants against discrimination because they use cannabis legally outside of the workplace, explained the governor. He added that there are “exceptions” in certain industries.
Watch the Governor sign the cannabis law at 28:20 in the video below.
In the aerospace and airline industries, for example, marijuana use can still lead to people being denied employment. The bill does not protect positions that are safety-sensitive or require background checks and security clearances.
During the legislative process, the measure was modified several times. It was revised, for example, to create protection exceptions that would apply only to law enforcement, firefighters and first responders.
Washington has now joined Nevada in banning discrimination against applicants who test positive for marijuana. Other states such as California or New York provide greater protections to adults who use cannabis legally during non-working hours.
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Inslee received a number of drug policy reform legislation during this session. This includes the legislation he signed last Wednesday authorizing marijuana commerce between states, pending federal policy changes.
Last week, the Governor also called a special session of lawmakers in order to stop a decriminalization law from going into effect after a ruling by the state Supreme Court.
New Hampshire Senate Rejects House-Passed Marijuana Legalization bills in Committee, but Floor Votes are Still Planned
Martin Alonso is the photographer of this photo.
The post Washington State Gov. Signs Bill to Protect Job Applicants from Anti-Marijuana Discrimination first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
