The cannabis industry is ever-changing, as laws and regulations regarding the business change and fluctuate. As such, entrepreneurs and business owners alike must keep an eye on new laws regarding their industry. With that in mind, here is a short article on some recent news alongside some speculation for what will happen in the near future.
New Administration
There is a great deal of speculation concerning whether or not the new Biden administration can push to legalize marijuana. However, at the state level, some states continue to legalize marijuana. Attorney Mariah Passarelli thinks that federal legalization of marijuana will probably not happen anytime soon.
The federal-state lists marijuana as a schedule 1 drug in the Controlled Substance Act. Legalizing the drug will only have a limited impact where dispensaries might gain some tax benefits and recreational use would stay black-market.
Cannabis and Work
Keeping up to date with Cannabis changing laws is essential, especially in the work environment. Employers need to understand what is required of them not to find themselves in violation of the law. Corporations across multiple states will be forced to reconsider their work policies. In addition to whether it is still sensible to continue disbursement of resources to drug testing.
The Biden administration is giving some hope in taking into account marijuana legalization. However, there are many pressing problems to be addressed throughout 2021; therefore, uncertain when this will happen.
Laws and Acts
Vice President Kamala Harris voted on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) act. The bill was passed on December 4, 2020, by the U.S House of Representatives, but it did not get to the U.S senate. The bill’s purpose is to reschedule marijuana, relax past convictions and take away criminal sanctions. Democrats support the MORE act, but six Democratic representatives voted against it. This shows that the bill may fail since it will be voted among 50 Democrat and 50 Republican representatives once it is in the senate.
State legalization of marijuana, however, continues. Thirty-five states have now legalized the medical usage of marijuana, and fifteen of these states even have accepted its recreational use, including Washington, D.C.
Employers need to understand the statutes’ influence on the work environment. Discrimination against staff who use medical marijuana is not acceptable. The number of states permitting recreational use of marijuana continues to grow. However, this does not allow employees to use Cannabis while on the job. In 2021, it will be vital for employers to follow keenly on the case law.