Medical Marijuana Non-Discrimination Bill Stalls In recent years, medical marijuana has been used extensively and has gained acceptance amongst California residents. In keeping up with the trend, lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would amend California’s employment discrimination laws to impose liability on employers for discrimination against medical marijuana users. A.B. 2069 was aimed at prohibiting employers from engaging in employment discrimination against a person on the basis of his or her status as a qualified patient or person with an identification card. However, employers can breathe a sigh of relief for now, as A.B. 2069 has been shelved while lawmakers refine its language before attempting to pass it once more. History of California Marijuana Laws In 1996, Californians voted to legalize medical marijuana, despite the law’s potential conflict with federal lawclassifying marijuana as one of the most serious narcotics. Proposition 215, or the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 (CUA), legalized the use of medical marijuana for treatment related to cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines, or any other illness for which marijuana provides relief. S.B. 420 subsequently clarified the scope and application of the CUA by formally establishing the California medical marijuana program. Since the passage of the CUA and S.B. 420, Californians have been able to easily obtain medical marijuana prescriptions for seemingly any medically related reason. The accepted use of medical marijuana and changing views of marijuana use overall culminated in California’s legalization of marijuana for recreational use. In 2016, California voters once again decided to relax the state’s marijuana laws by passing Proposition 64 – the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act – making the recreational use of marijuana legal. California’s marijuana use laws have placed employers in a difficult situation, as they have to grapple with enforcing their workplace drug policies in a state where marijuana use is widely accepted. Marijuana and the Workplace Marijuana use – whether recreational or medical – is becoming the norm, and employers are now tasked with making business decisions in light of this change. Employers with strict drug-free work environments are faced with demands from medical marijuana users to accommodate their marijuana use. The California Supreme Court has made clear, however, that an employer is not required to accommodate medical marijuana use – regardless of whether the CUA explicitly allows the individual to use marijuana for medically-related purposes – in Ross v. Raging Wire Telecommunications, Inc., No. S138130 (Jan. 24, 2008). Stinky Stoner's Revenge
The Ross court found that state law could not completely legalize medical marijuana because marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Moreover, because the California Fair Employment and Housing Act(FEHA) does not require employers to accommodate the use of illegal drugs, an employer is not in violation of the FEHA if it refuses to hire someone who tests positive for medical marijuana use. Indeed, an employer’s right to maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace has even been codified in the California Health and Safety Code Section 11362.45(f).
In response to the Ross decision, two California legislators drafted A.B. 2069, attempting to classify medical marijuana users as a protected class of persons similar to those protected on account of their race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, or military and veteran status. The California State Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment voted to pass the bill, however, it stalled in the Committee on Appropriations. The bill is now on hold for the year, but as marijuana acceptance and usage continues to expand, California employers can expect to see more bills such as A.B. 2069 brought up for consideration.
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Cannabis Terpenes and Aromatherapy Terpenes are a major component of the essential oils, the crux of aromatherapy, a method of treating mild ailments with aromatic plant compounds. Essential oils are increasingly utilized for their amazing power to uplift, calm, and delight our spirits. Popular essential oils include lavender, sage, eucalyptus, and cannabis. Aromatherapy has been shown to reduce menstrual or menopausal problems, circulatory issues, headaches, anxiety, depression, and nausea. Aromatherapy can be further classified as cosmetic, massage, medical, olfactory, or psycho, based on the type of essential oil used and the desired effect. The oils can be applied using various topical products, through inhalation, or as part of massage therapy. Terpenes can be inhaled through a diffuser, a spray, oil droplets or a steam bath. Inhaling terpenes stimulates the olfactory system. Once the terpenes reach our brains from our noses through the olfactory system, they begin to interact with the limbic system which controls our emotions. Besides the pleasing fragrance of some terpenes, there is an overall positive effect on the heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and stress. When terpenes are applied topically, the terpenes of essential oils are mixed with massage oil or some other skin care product. Aromatherapy massage using terpenes increases circulation and also aids in the absorption of the massage oil. Cannabis Terpenes: The New Rage of Aromatherapy The cannabis plant contains at least 140 different types of terpenes. Cannabis essential oil colored green and highly volatile. It is extracted by steam distillation from cannabisflowers and upper leaves. Since this oil is so powerful, very small amounts can create the desired effects. Therefore, cannabis essential oil not only benefits the mind and body but also is an economical and natural way to maintain our well-being. The nine primary terpenes of cannabis aromatherapy are alpha-bisabolol, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, borneol, caryophyllene, humulene, limonene, linalool, and myrcene. It’s the unique and diverse combination of these terpenes that creates characteristic aromas and flavors for a specific cannabis variety, in addition to adding distinct health benefits. For example, pinene functions as a decongestant, clearing sinuses and increasing airflow to the lungs, while limonene has powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Terpenes and cannabinoids, like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), work together to maximize therapeutic benefits and to create the targeted result. While doing so, some terpenes like alpha-pinene and beta-pinene lessen the intoxicating effects of THC. THC binds to receptors which are concentrated most heavily in the areas of the brain where psychoactive effects take place, namely, the brain stem (controls sleeping, breathing and heart rate), limbic system (controls emotions), and cerebral cortex (the thinking center). The terpene beta-caryophyllene can even bind to CB2 receptors and modify their chemical output. Borneol widens lung capillaries, thus helping cannabis compounds enter the bloodstream quicker for healing. AromaChill: New Terpene Delivery Method The AromaChill relaxation system, hand-held and huggable, with a soft mask to hold to your nose, is a new direct delivery aromatherapy method which delivers chilled and fragrant terpenes while enabling mindful breathing. This revolutionary system is highly effective in relieving stress and insomnia while protecting the terpenes from environmental overheating and oxidation. The nasal inhalation of chilled air can draw highly relaxing terpenes into the nose from cannabis essential oil, other essential oils, as well as herbs and flowers present in the system’s small aroma chamber. The delivery of slightly chilled air is possible by storing this system in the refrigerator or freezer, thus maximizing the relaxing effect of terpenes.
The recipient’s mind is able to deeply sense the chilled, fragrant air passing through the nose into the lungs. This air is warmed in the lungs and then exhaled through the mouth. Let us know what you think. |
authorLilly, the gardener. Archives
September 2019
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