Workers can be fired for smoking marijuana off the job, Colorado court rules

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Workers can be fired for smoking marijuana off the job, Colorado court rules

By Keith Coffman
DENVER | Thu Apr 25, 2013 6:56pm EDT

(Reuters) - Colorado medical marijuana patients can lose their jobs for using pot because it remains illegal under federal law, a state appeals court ruled on Thursday, upholding the firing of a quadriplegic who was terminated after testing positive for cannabis.

In a split decision, a three-judge panel of the Colorado Court of Appeals said that federal law trumps a state law that protects workers for engaging in lawful activities outside the workplace.

Colorado is one of 20 states and the District of Columbia that allows the use of medical pot. Voters in Colorado and Washington state both legalized the use of recreational marijuana last November

The federal government considers marijuana an illegal and dangerous narcotic. U.S. officials have said they are considering how to respond to the legalization moves.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/25/us-usa-colorado-marijuana-idUSBRE93O1GK20130425

[mountain grammy]

1. Very troubling. Hoping to win on appeal.

[babylonsister]

2. Maybe this will help...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022754138

A new day for the 'war on drugs'

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Time the laws were readjusted to reflect those situations where marijuana is now legal.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. Easily remedied.

Remove Scheduling from I to III or IV or, better yet, legalize it on the federal level. Problem solved.

[Politicalboi]

5. That is so wrong

But be an alcoholic that can drink your boss under the table, is so coooool! I would hire 20 pot heads over 20 drinkers ANY day.

Also, how do they sell the weed? Can't the sellers lose their job if they test positive? How is a pot shop able to hire and keep pot heads on the job, but other places can fire your ass. Doesn't the pot shop pay federal taxes? This IS bullshit.

[surrealAmerican]

6. They fired a quadriplegic for using marijuana on his own time, with a prescription.

Why were they testing him at all? I kind of doubt he had a job operating heavy machinery or something that would impact safety. The boss must have been looking for some excuse to fire him or something...