WWL Radio Interviews James Shore on Effects of Marijuana Legalization on Company Drug Policies

Partner James Shore was recently interviewed by WWL, a talk-radio station based in Louisiana, for  a segment on the effects of the legalization of marijuana on company drug policies. In the interview, Shore and the host, Tommy Tucker discussed issues such as the impact of federal law on states that have liberalized their marijuana laws and the effects of legalization on employers with regard to hiring and promotion decisions.  

Shore noted that legalization is misnomer because states that have legalized marijuana are still subject to federal regulations. Additionally, as employers are also subject to both sets of laws, they can still prohibit the use of marijuana at their workplaces, opt to drug test in some cases, or refuse to allow the use of medical marijuana, as was upheld in a Washington Supreme Court ruling. Shore points out that the onus will likely be on the Federal Government to reconsider its classification of marijuana as on par with drugs such as heroin. “I think it’s definitely an issue to keep watching. It’s at the cutting edge of what’s going on in society,” Shore said.