What employers — and employees — need to know about legal marijuana in Arizona with Proposition 207

Proposition 207 changed the laws for marijuana possession and sales in Arizona, but it didn’t change much regarding how employers address drug use by workers, on or off the job.

The measure legalizing adult use of marijuana likely will result in more people using the drug once it is available over the counter, if it hasn’t already. But many workplaces are likely to maintain prohibitions on workers using the drug.

Phoenix lawyer Joshua Black and Emily Johnson, a lawyer for the Employers Council in Arizona, responded to some common questions about marijuana and the workplace with regard to the new law.

Can employers still require pre-employment drug tests?

Yes. And they can decline to hire people who test positive for marijuana unless that person has a medical marijuana card.

“The big news is the passage of Prop. 207 doesn’t really change much for employers,” Johnson said. “Marijuana is not allowed in the workplace. The proposition itself states that it doesn’t restrict the rights of employers to maintain a drug- and alcohol-free workplace, or restrict its use by employees or prospective employees.”

She said she now considers recreational marijuana similarly to alcohol use. [Read More @ Arizona Central]