Oregon Legislature Will Consider Bill Protecting Pot Smoking Workers

A bill that the Oregon Legislature will consider when they convene next month would make it so employers could not fire employees for using marijuana when they are not at work. It's unlikely the bill would pass.

Senate Bill 301 takes a law already on the books preventing someone from being fired just because they smoke tobacco when not at work and takes out "lawful tobacco products" and replaces it with "a substance that is lawful under the laws of this state."

It reads:

"It is an unlawful employment practice for any employer to require, as a condition of employment, that any employee or prospective employee refrain from using [lawful tobacco products] a substance that is lawful to use under the laws of this state during nonworking hours."

Marijuana use has been legal in Oregon since July 2015.

The bill was introduced by the legislature's Joint Interim Committee on Marijuana Legalization, which is co-chaired by State Senator Ginny Burdick, Democrat of Portland, and State Representative Ann Lininger, Democrat of Lake Oswego.

The bill will be considered by the Senate Committee on Judiciary.

Even though marijuana use is legal in Oregon, the fact that federal law still considers it illegal will likely prevent the bill from going forward.

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