Sean Andrade was recently quoted in the SF GATE article, “Major change to employment drug testing just came to California,” which reported that as of January 1, 2024, “it’s illegal for most California employers to discriminate against cannabis users or even ask about past cannabis use on job applications.” Sean told SF GATE that while there are exceptions for people who work in building and construction trades as well as jobs that require federal background or security clearance checks, the law should “impact most California employers.”
The article later distinguishes that while the new laws make it tougher for employers to scrutinize at-home use of cannabis, they still have the ability to prohibit use on the job. “This law makes that clear that employees cannot go to work impaired,” Sean said. It “does not protect an employee who possesses or uses cannabis on the job, or affect the rights or obligations of an employer to maintain a drug- and alcohol-free workplace.”