As NJ activists work toward recreational adult-use marijuana legalization, a state Supreme Court ruling will officially protect medical cannabis patients from employment discrimination.
"New Jersey medical marijuana patients won a significant victory in the fight for equality this week, as the State Supreme Court adjourned a ruling that protects cannabis patients from employment discrimination. In other words, workers who are registered medical marijuana patients can no longer be fired for failing a drug test."
According to NJ.com, the ruling followed a case about the termination of an NJ funeral director; Justin Wild. He was involved in a car accident, and was not found to be at fault for the incident. During a drug test afterward the funeral director tested positive for THC and was immediately fired. Wild was a registered medical cannabis patient suffering from cancer.
Wild then filed a suit alleging employment discrimination against medical marijuana users, which brought the issue of protections for cannabis consumers to the attention of the public. Initially a Superior Court dismissed this case, but an appellate court ended up ruling in favor of Wild.
New Jersey’s 70,000-plus registered medical marijuana patients will now be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
"This protects hundreds, if not thousands of employees [who’ve faced the] stigma of marijuana,” Jamison Mark, Wild’s lawyer, told reporters after the ruling.
Source: MerryJane