Marijuana and employment...the Coats case

Back in April 2013 the Colorado Court of Appeals issued the Coats case. It is not a workers compensation case but instead is a wrongful termination case. Still it will impact workers compensation. It is now on further appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court with oral arguments set for later this year with a decision to follow most likely in 2015. What makes it interesting and controversial is that it concerns marijuana. A worker was

terminated under the no tolerance policy of his employer when he tested positive for marijuana despite it being medicinal marijuana. The employee was a quadriplegic and did not use marijuana on his employers premises and his work was not affected. He sued and asserted the termination was wrongful. The court of appeals decided a dismissal of his case was proper despite medicinal marijuana use being lawful and permitted in Colorado based on its view it was unlawful by federal law. Imagine workers with various ailments taking medicinal marijuana after work hours being terminated based on a no tolerance policy. Imagine an injured worker being prescribed medicinal marijuana by his physician as part of his treatment. Can his employer validly terminate him? What will the Supreme Court say on this? That is to be determined. Meanwhile LexisNexis published an article on this case so you can read it here. Given the legalization of marijuana so its use is permitted, even recreational use, will employers be allowed to terminate you even where you use it after hours with no impact on your employee performance? All I can say is stay tuned for the answer come 2015. By the way LexisNexis asked for my comments on the case so they are included in the article.