Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Medical Marijuana

By Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau
September 02, 2017

Here is the latest tip for employers: Do not be too quick to “just say no” to medical marijuana. The answer that “we follow federal law” is not so easy anymore. The “it's a federal crime” escape hatch employers invoked previously has been closed by more and more courts in states with medical marijuana laws. It is a welcome opportunity for employers that were not comfortable making employees choose between keeping their jobs or keeping a medical treatment.

The conflict between federal law outlawing marijuana and state laws legalizing medical marijuana led many employers to believe the safest policy was to prohibit employee use of medical marijuana. Some employers felt they had little choice but to say no. If they allowed it and an employee who used medical marijuana caused injury or harm, the employer's decision not to follow federal law would be questioned as unwise or, worse yet, deemed reason for liability. Some employers assumed that federal law trumped state law. But the landscape has changed.

In the Courts

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Major Differences In UK, U.S. Copyright Laws Image

This article highlights how copyright law in the United Kingdom differs from U.S. copyright law, and points out differences that may be crucial to entertainment and media businesses familiar with U.S law that are interested in operating in the United Kingdom or under UK law. The article also briefly addresses contrasts in UK and U.S. trademark law.

The Article 8 Opt In Image

The Article 8 opt-in election adds an additional layer of complexity to the already labyrinthine rules governing perfection of security interests under the UCC. A lender that is unaware of the nuances created by the opt in (may find its security interest vulnerable to being primed by another party that has taken steps to perfect in a superior manner under the circumstances.

Strategy vs. Tactics: Two Sides of a Difficult Coin Image

With each successive large-scale cyber attack, it is slowly becoming clear that ransomware attacks are targeting the critical infrastructure of the most powerful country on the planet. Understanding the strategy, and tactics of our opponents, as well as the strategy and the tactics we implement as a response are vital to victory.

Removing Restrictive Covenants In New York Image

In Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?

Legal Possession: What Does It Mean? Image

Possession of real property is a matter of physical fact. Having the right or legal entitlement to possession is not "possession," possession is "the fact of having or holding property in one's power." That power means having physical dominion and control over the property.