Marijuana Legalization Raises Worker Safety Concerns

States’ efforts to legalize marijuana could be endangering workers, job safety advocates warn.

At issue is whether employers in states legalizing the recreational or medical use of marijuana can ban workers in “safety-sensitive” positions from off-hour use of marijuana or consumption of foods and drinks containing the plant’s psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The safety-sensitive classification should include occupations where a mistake can threaten the life and health of others, safety experts say.

“The National Safety Council believes safety is being left out of the conversation, in general,” said Jane Terry, the council’s vice president of government affairs. The council ...