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Bill Wouldn't Protect Marijuana ID Holders at Work

Colin Fogarty Oregon Public Broadcasting

Salem, OR June 30, 2005 -- Medical marijuana ID cards would not shield employees from being fired if a drug test revealed traces of pot in their system, under a bill approved Thursday by the Oregon House.

Current law requires employers to accommodate medical marijuana users. But that can run up against drug-free workplace rules. Clackamas Republican Linda Flores told her colleagues that House Bill 2693 would clarify the rules.

Linda Flores: Employers are presently very confused about how to handle medical marijuana. Some of this comes from the conflicts between federal and state legislation. And some of this comes from the potentially endangering effects of the drug.

Supporters of medical marijuana argue the bill would make it harder for patients using a legal medical treatment to hold down a job. After 39-to-20 vote in the Republican House, the bill now goes to the state Senate.