Medical Marijuana Goes Live in Ohio

This week Ohio’s first medical marijuana dispensaries opened, four months behind schedule.

Four medical marijuana dispensaries opened across the state: one in Sandusky, two in Wintersville, near Steubenville, and one in Canton.

Dee Mason, CEO of OMA Connections Partner, Working Partners^(R), offered this op-ed in the Columbus Dispatch (PDF version) reminding employers of the workplace challenges medical marijuana presents.

Mason wrote: “Under the law, employers are not required — yet not prohibited — to accommodate an employee’s use of marijuana as medicine. Each employer must decide their stance on the issue and be positioned to respond to employee questions or to the employee who tests positive for marijuana.

“This position must be articulated in the company’s drug-free workplace policy and communicated with employees in writing and through ongoing discussions. Simply updating a policy is not enough; those changes must be communicated clearly and consistently. The more everyone understands, the better prepared they can be if a situation involving marijuana arises.” 1/17/2018