WA Bill Would Prohibit Employers from Discriminating Against Medical Marijuana Patients
A bill to prevent medical marijuana patients from being discriminated against in the work place has been filed in Washington.
House Bill 1094 was filed by State Representative David Sawyer. It has the bipartisan support of eight cosponsors; Representatives Kirby, Stonier, Condotta, Appleton, Farrell, Frame, Macri and Klob.
According to its legislative digest, House Bill 1094:
“Revises the medical use of cannabis act to prohibit an employer from refusing to hire a qualifying patient, discharging or barring a qualifying patient from employment, or discriminating against a qualifying patient in compensation or other terms and conditions of employment because of the qualifying patient’s: (1) Status as a qualifying patient; or (2) Positive drug test for marijuana components or metabolites.”
If the measure is passed out of committee, and also a second committee, it will move to a vote in the full House of Representatives. Passage in the House will send it through the same process in the Senate. Approval in the Senate will send it to Governor Jay Inslee for final consideration.
A spokesperson for Inslee says that they haven’t had time to thoroughly review the measure, but the governor does support protecting patients from workplace discrimination.
Click here for the full text of House Bill 1094.