The D.C. Council passed a bill Tuesday prohibiting private employers and city agencies from firing or refusing to hire a person simply for testing positive for marijuana in a drug test.
The bill, by council member Trayon White, Ward 8 Democrat, heads to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s desk amid increasingly accepting attitudes toward cannabis use nationwide.
The District legalized possession of a small amount of marijuana in 2015. A survey by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that only 16% of private companies are still drug-testing prospective employees, according to WTOP.
The legislation would not protect federal workers in the city — marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
It also would not apply to D.C. court system workers and people with jobs where safety is paramount, including police and security officers, operators of heavy machinery and medical professionals.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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