URGENT: Three votes needed on Calif. medical marijuana employment bill

Marijuana Policy Project

Marijuana Policy Project Alert: Calif.
May 20, 2008

Find out how your legislator voted on the medical marijuana employment
bill and take action today!

Yesterday, A.B. 2279 -- state legislation that would prevent
employment discrimination against medical marijuana patients --
was brought to an Assembly floor vote. The final vote count was 38-34
in favor of passage, but because the bill needs a majority vote from
the whole Assembly (41 votes), it will be brought back for another
vote within the next few days.

Check out MPP's breakdown, in the link provided in our online
action, of how each legislator voted and use the information to
provide feedback to your representative in the state Assembly.

Please call your Assembly member today and "thank or
spank" them for their initial vote on A.B. 2279 and ask them to
support the bill when is called for a second vote.

Visit: http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=kHN9Hs5CGYUunRTHsYhTTA..

Currently, patients who use medical marijuana in accordance with
California law can be fired or denied employment if they fail a drug
test for marijuana metabolites and compounds, such as THC. Ironically,
disabled patients who use synthetic THC (Marinol) cannot be fired or
denied employment solely for failing a drug test.

A.B. 2279 is narrowly crafted legislation -- authored by
Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Americans for
Safe Access -- that simply equalizes medical marijuana and
Marinol in California employment law.

The bill would provide that patients and their caregivers cannot be or
fired denied employment solely for their status as patients and
caregivers. It would also provide that patients couldn't be
fired or denied employment solely for testing positive for marijuana.
This protection is vital to medical marijuana patients' ability to
earn a living because marijuana metabolites can stay in one's system
for weeks! The bill does not change the state's prohibition on using
marijuana at work or coming to work impaired and includes an exception
for safety-sensitive positions.

Please don't forget to visit
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=dKYZ0FHJv1atlJ0zJ0mkWw.. to call your Assembly
member today! Taking
action is easy, just visit MPP's action page and enter your zip
code to obtain contact information for your legislator, a link to a
table showing his or her vote on A.B. 2279, and a sample script, which
is provided to help guide you through your call. Also, if you are a
patient or a medical professional, please mention that in your call.
http://control.mpp.org/site/R?i=VLu4bn00bx3U3zHq1LGGKw..

Please don't forget to forward this message on to friends, family, and
co-workers in California, so that they too can take action.

Thank you for taking action to support MPP and California's
medical marijuana patients.

Sincerely,

Aaron Smith
California Organizer
Marijuana Policy Project





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