As cannabis laws evolve, employers are facing new challenges in balancing safety, federal obligations, and employee rights. Minnesota’s latest law raises the stakes by requiring greater legal justification before taking employment action.

According to a Forbes article, Minnesota passed a bill that recently went into effect, strengthening protections for registered medical cannabis patients in the workplace. Employers must now give these employees 14 days’ written notice before taking any adverse action based on a positive marijuana test. The notice must cite the specific federal law or regulation that justifies the action.

Minnesota’s new law highlights a growing challenge for employers, especially in public safety, where cannabis use may be legal, but reliable tools to test for on-duty impairment are lacking. This raises important questions: How should medical cannabis be handled for those in public safety roles, and what should testing requirements and protocols look like to ensure both employee rights and public safety?

Read the full article.

At the 2025 MACo Summer Conference Human Resources session, “Up in Smoke? Balancing Public Safety and Employee Rights in the Cannabis Era,” panelists will explore challenges and opportunities on how to best balance public safety with evolving workplace rights.

The 2025 MACo Summer Conference will be held at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD from August 13-16. This year’s theme is “Funding the Future: The Evolving Role of Local Government.” More information can be found on our conference website.

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