Sen. Mark Leno Pushes Limits For Medical Marijuana Based Firings
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- A California lawmaker wants to prohibit employers from firing qualified medical marijuana users who consume pot when they're not on the job.
The bill proposed by Democratic state Sen. Mark Leno would also make it illegal for employers not to hire someone solely because they use marijuana for medical reasons.
Leno in 2007 proposed a similar bill that was passed by the legislature but vetoed by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The California Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that nothing in the state's current medical marijuana laws bars an employer from firing medical marijuana users who test postive for pot.
Leno's bill would exempt from protection workers such as doctors, nurses, school bus drivers and heavy equipment operators who hold so-called safety sensitive jobs.
(© 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
