I.I.I. Report: Patchwork of state marijuana laws causing headaches for employers, insurers

Today Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker is reportedly going to sign into law a bill that legalizes recreational marijuana in the state. That makes Illinois the eleventh state (plus D.C.) to legalize marijuana for adult use.

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But as medical and recreational marijuana legalization spreads, concerns about what this means for workplace safety and workers compensation continue to grow. What is the impact of legal marijuana on workplace safety, employer duties and obligations and workers compensation insurance?

Today, the I.I.I. published a report that examines the current state of the issue. (Download the report here.)

“Haze of confusion: How employers and insurers are affected by a patchwork of state marijuana laws” dives into the following questions:

How does marijuana intoxication work and how might it impact workplace safety? What accommodations, if any, are employers expected to provide for workers that use marijuana? Does workers compensation insurance provide benefits to injured employees testing positive for marijuana? What about reimbursement to injured workers for medical marijuana?

Unfortunately, none of these questions have straightforward answers. Every state’s laws and regulations governing these issues are different, not to mention that federal law prohibits marijuana outright. To complicate matters further, state laws and regulations are constantly changing. Employment and insurance activities once prohibited are often now permitted – or required.

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Legal marijuana isn’t going away. Employers and insurers will continue to grapple with a rapidly changing environment, perhaps for years to come.

To learn more, download the report here.