By COURTNEY HESSLER , [email protected]
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — With medical marijuana dispensaries now open across the state, West Virginia lawmakers this week discussed how usage is affecting employee-employer relationships.
West Virginia’s current law protects employees from being fired solely for being a medical cannabis patient, but companies still have control over policies, which can prohibit an employee from being under the influence during work. But with no testing widely available to determine if someone is intoxicated due to cannabis usage, it’s a difficult thing to prove.
The discussions were held Tuesday at a meeting of the West Virginia Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee, which heard testimony from industry experts who discussed the workplace and how it intertwined with a person’s medical usage. The issue started last year after West Virginia’s first dispensaries opened.
There are currently 22 states with patient hiring protections and five with termination protections.
