SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A newly signed law could soon give some peace of mind to workers who want to smoke a little weed to unwind when they're off the clock.
Marijuana has been legal in California for years now but many people have still been required to get tested for the drug at work.
Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a measure blocking companies from penalizing workers who use marijuana on their own time.
"We just think it gives workers a little bit more sense of security when they're either medicating or doing things when they're not at work," said Jim Araby, Strategic Campaigns Director at UFCW Local 5, a Bay Area union with 30,000 members.
AB 2188, introduced by Assemblymember Bill Quirk of Hayward, still allows companies to punish workers who show up to work high.
Signed by Newsom over the weekend, the measure will go into effect in 2024.
Critics of the measure argue that there is still no accurate method to test for sobriety.
But Araby disagrees. "We've all seen people who are high," he said. "There are other ways to do this."
Along with AB 2188, Newsom signed another measure that will allow California to make cannabis transactions out of state with other entities and a law allowing people with old cannabis-related convictions to have those records sealed.
"For too many Californians, the promise of cannabis legalization remains out of reach," said Newsom in a press release issued Sunday. "These measures build on the important strides our state has made toward this goal, but much work remains to build an equitable, safe and sustainable legal cannabis industry. I look forward to partnering with the Legislature and policymakers to fully realize cannabis legalization in communities across California."
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