North Dakota has been one of the leading states in terms of embracing medical marijuana for patients suffering from a variety of issues. And recently, new changes were signed into law that updates the state’s medical marijuana laws.
The overall goals are focused on increasing patient access and expanding business opportunities for license holders. Some changes included in the new law include:
• Additional qualifying ailments that can be treated by medical marijuana
• Expanding the definition of health care providers for increased access to medical marijuana
• Increasing the amounts of marijuana cancer patients can purchase
• And more
One of the main things to consider when it comes to this increased access to medical marijuana is what it means to employers and even to the legal system. For example, while medical marijuana is legal, a 5-panel urine drug test may still be used to determine if someone was operating a vehicle while high. If so, they may have legal consequences despite being legally allowed to use marijuana.
The same applies to those who are employers. While you may be able to use a 5-panel urine drug test to determine whether or not employees or potential employees use drugs, you will have to remember that you run the risk of facing legal action if you discriminate against them for their marijuana use.
The reason here is simple – if a patient is using medical marijuana as prescribed by a medical professional, you will only be able to control their use while on the job site. Employers can stop their employees from working while high, and may even deny hiring outright if it is for a position that the safety of others or the employee may be impacted by marijuana use – driving, operating heavy machinery, medical care, and so on.
In these instances, you may use a North Dakota 5 panel urine drug test to help identify potential risks. Each employer is able to create their own drug policy that works for their business. But, it’s important that they keep the rights of medical marijuana patients in mind since this can directly impact their compliance. Review your existing policy and consider the state laws to ensure that you stay on the right side of compliance.
