Into the haze: how will legal marijuana affect Illinois employers and workers?

For cash-strapped Illinois, recreational marijuana is expected to be a headrush of revenue.

But for Illinois businesses, surveying the new legal landscape it has already caused a headache.

At a panel event on Thursday, local leaders in policy, business and law discussed how legalization will impact workers and employers in the Quad-Cities.

Marijuana will be regulated like alcohol, including an age limit of 21 and penalties for intoxicated driving and public consumption. Employers can still adopt a drug-free workplace and zero-tolerance policies.

But the nature of the drug and unresolved questions of law has led to confusion and disagreements about what workers and their bosses can and cannot do.

The consensus is that Illinois employers will need to revisit their employee and insurance policies.

Employers can also perform basic due diligence to avoid legal trouble, panelists said.

For one, employers should train supervisors to recognize and report when an employee might be under the influence, recommended Gene Krismanits, of Mel Foster Insurance.

Krismanits also suggested businesses review their drug-free work policies, which remain legal under Illinois law. For example, an Illinois business can still fire an employee for violating company drug policies that include marijuana. [Read more at Quad City Times]

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