This new bill would stop federal employees from being fired over cannabis use

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Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

As it stands, federal employees can be fired if it’s found they’re using cannabis. That means even if a federal employee takes one hit of a joint over the weekend, they’re risking losing their job. A new bill, introduced by Reps. Charlie Crist (D-FL) and Drew Ferguson (R-GA), would ban that practice.

“The problem is two-fold,” Justin Strekal, political director at NORML, told Cannabis News Box. “One is federal workers losing their jobs for off-the-clock cannabis consumption that does not impact their performance and the second aspect is potential employees not applying or being denied work due pre-employment drug testing. Note that 31% of federal government employees are veterans and 22% of veterans consume cannabis to ‘alleviate a medical or physical condition.’”

Veterans use medical cannabis for problems like chronic pain, PTSD and more. Strekal thinks it is wrong that these men who served their country would be denied the medicine they need just so they can stay employed. He believes they need to be protected from this kind of discriminatory behavior.

“As long as consumption does not impact an employee’s ability to preform their job, there is no reason for an employer to be concerned about their consumption habits, just as employees should not be subject to job discrimination for having a beer after work,” Strekal said.

This sentiment has been repeated by many cannabis advocates who oppose drug testing at work. Why should someone be punished for using cannabis to blow off some steam after work or for using it for a medical condition when they’re not at work? An employer would never ask if someone was drinking beer after work as long as they’re clearly sober while they’re doing their job. Furthermore, many mind-altering prescription drugs are not tested for when someone is tested at work.

NORML is working closely with the men who are introducing this bill to make sure it has a good chance of passing. In many states that have legalized, employees from many different sectors risk losing their jobs because they use cannabis. One would think that this would not happen after a state decides to legalize, but it is still a major issue. Perhaps after federal employees get protections from this kind of behavior, other employees may get the same protections.

It is still unclear if the bill will make it through Congress, or if Trump would sign it, but cannabis advocates are hopeful that this could be a step in the right direction if it does.