People Are Getting Fired for Medical Marijuana in States Where It's Legal...and Many Judges Are Siding with the Employers

Justin Shepherd, a former employee at a Kohl's in Calfornia, is suing the department store chain for wrongful termination. Shepherd says he worked at Kohl's for years before he was diagnosed with acute and chronic anxiety. Shepherd received a recommendation for medical marijuana from his doctor. Shepherd didn't notify the company that he had started to use it for his illness, but in 2012 Kohl's its personnel policies to include exceptions to its drug testing for employees in certain states, like California.

According to the complaint, Shepherd was injured during work and a drug test revealed traces of marijuana metabolites. He provided a copy of his doctor's recommendation to Kohl's, said he only used the drug while off-duty and explained how traces of the substance can remain in one's system for quite some time. Nonetheless, Shepherd says he was fired and told "should have chosen a different medication." 

A federal judge recently determined that Shepherd's...

e-mail icon Facebook icon Twitter icon LinkedIn icon Reddit icon
Rate this article: 

This marijuana news is brought to you by 420 Intel. For the latest breaking cannabis industry news, subscribe to the 420 Intel newsletter. If you'd like to promote your product or service in this area after every article, contact us.