---
title: Are employers required to accommodate medical marijuana use?
description: As medical marijuana use increases in popularity, public sector organizations may want to review their policies in regard to workplace accommodations.
image: https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/marijuana%20B-1.jpg
---

![Are employers required to accommodate medical marijuana use?](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/hubfs/marijuana%20B-1.jpg)

# Are employers required to accommodate medical marijuana use?

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- Are employers required to accommodate medical marijuana use?

[ Valerie Ortiz ](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/author/valerie-ortiz) 04/01/2019 [ The Administrator's Corner](https://blog.nisbenefits.com/topic/the-administrators-corner)

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 1 Minutes

In [SHRM’s](https://www.shrm.org/) article, [Weed at Work: Must Employers Accommodate Medical Use?”](https://inpublicsafety.com/2019/01/medical-marijuana-in-the-workplace-what-employers-should-know/) they examine workplace accommodations for medical marijuana use.

Under federal law, marijuana use is illegal. But more states are legalizing its usage and more people are using it as a treatment option for their health concerns. Should public sector organizations review their policies when it comes to drug-testing and screening practices? Do screening practices and drug test violate your obligations under state disability-accommodation and leave laws?

[![Broker Report Card](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3325505/d0b5bcbd-76a3-4632-ac70-e9c05aeaa858.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3325505/d0b5bcbd-76a3-4632-ac70-e9c05aeaa858)

The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act don’t cover medical marijuana use directly. But several court cases in the past few years had questioned if medicinal marijuana use should be accommodated under state law.

Marijuana legalization laws in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia have included employment protections for medical marijuana patients. These laws may require employers to accommodate marijuana use for medical reasons or impede discrimination against off-duty use.

Check out SHRM’s [full article](https://inpublicsafety.com/2019/01/medical-marijuana-in-the-workplace-what-employers-should-know/) to learn more tips about staying compliant during this evolving trend.

 

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