NEW JERSEY: Marijuana Law Employment Provisions Take Effect

​The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission issued long-awaited initial rules implementing the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, which Governor Murphy signed on February 22, 2021. The Act legalizes the use of recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21 and creates many obstacles for employers seeking to maintain a drug-free workplace. The new rules deal almost exclusively with the provisions governing the recreational cannabis market, leaving many employer questions unanswered. ​

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“While the new rules issued by The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission deal exclusively with the provisions governing the recreational cannabis market. We are closely monitoring the legislation introduced by Senator Paul Sarlo, S3525 that provides employer and employee protections pursuant to the use of legalized cannabis items. The bill would address potential conflicts between the law and standards governing workplace safety in regulated professions, including law enforcement, medicine and healthcare, education and childcare, building trades, utilities, heavy construction, truck drivers and equipment operators” stated HCAOA’s New Jersey Chapter lobbyist, Dennis Marco.