Calif. medical marijuana employment bill vote expected this week

Within the next few days, the California state Senate is expected to vote on A.B. 2279 — state legislation that would prevent employment discrimination against medical marijuana patients. The bill cleared the Assembly in May.

Please write your state senator today to ask him or her to vote "yes" on A.B. 2279.

Currently, patients who use medical marijuana in accordance with California law can be fired or denied employment if they fail a drug test for marijuana metabolites and compounds, such as THC. However, disabled patients who use synthetic THC (Marinol) cannot be fired or denied employment solely for taking their medicine.

A.B. 2279 is narrowly crafted legislation — authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Americans for Safe Access — that would correct that disparity.

The bill would provide that medical marijuana patients cannot be fired or denied employment solely for their status as patients or for testing positive for marijuana. This protection is vital to medical marijuana patients' ability to earn a living because marijuana metabolites can stay in one's system for weeks! The bill does not change the state's prohibition on using marijuana at work or coming to work impaired. It also includes an exception for safety-sensitive positions.

A.B. 2279 was amended in committee, where a phrase protecting caregivers from employment discrimination was deleted. If the Senate passes the bill, it will return to the Assembly before going to Gov. Schwarzenegger's desk.

Please don't forget to contact your senator today! Taking action is easy, just visit MPP's action page and enter your contact information. You can send a prewritten message or write one of your own. Please let your senator know if you are a patient or a medical professional.

Please don't forget to forward this message on to friends, family, and co-workers in California, so that they too can take action.