{"id":13368,"date":"2026-04-24T15:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/?post_type=resources&#038;p=13368"},"modified":"2026-10-28T10:06:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T15:06:02","slug":"doj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/doj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ shifts approach to medical marijuana"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-primary-white-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f85887e8 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:25px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-929090b5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-not-stacked-on-mobile lnrs-hide-block-on-desktop is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-23777fc9 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Written by: <\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\" class=\"has-link-color wp-elements-396749221673b8ac7695565b15cd4cd4 wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/author\/emily-scace\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Emily Scace<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-23777fc9 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group lnrs-hide-block-on-desktop is-content-justification-right is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e2981758 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px\">\n<p style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"addtoany_shortcode\"><div class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_28 addtoany_list\" data-a2a-url=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/doj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana\/\" data-a2a-title=\"DOJ shifts approach to medical marijuana\"><a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"LinkedIn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_x\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/x?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"X\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"Facebook\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_email\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"Email\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a move with potentially significant implications for employers, the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently issued an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/media\/1437441\/dl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an order<\/a>&nbsp;that reclassifies certain medical marijuana products as Schedule III controlled substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order applies to medical marijuana products that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Have received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Are subject to state medical marijuana licensing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marijuana has long been classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, which is defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule III drugs, by contrast, are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. (Recreational marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the order does not legalize marijuana on the federal level, the federal recognition of the accepted medical use of certain medical marijuana products is likely to shift employers&#8217; approaches to drug testing, reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other workplace policies. Without the justification of a Schedule I classification, employers will need to ensure that their policies surrounding medical marijuana focus on preventing on-the-job impairment, ensuring workplace safety and advancing other important business needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, 44 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 25 states have legalized the adult use of recreational marijuana. State laws vary in the level of employment protections they provide to medical and recreational marijuana users. The DOJ order does not alter or override these state laws.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column lnrs-hide-block-on-mobile is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--secondary-gray);border-left-width:2px;padding-left:10px;flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained wp-container-1 is-position-sticky\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-25208b0e wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:10px;padding-left:10px\">\n<p style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"addtoany_shortcode\"><div class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_28 addtoany_list\" data-a2a-url=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/employment-law-updates\/doj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana\/\" data-a2a-title=\"DOJ shifts approach to medical marijuana\"><a class=\"a2a_button_linkedin\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"LinkedIn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_x\" href=\"https:\/\/www.addtoany.com\/add_to\/x?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brightmine.com%2Fus%2Fresources%2Fhr-compliance%2Femployment-law-updates%2Fdoj-shifts-approach-to-medical-marijuana%2F&amp;linkname=DOJ%20shifts%20approach%20to%20medical%20marijuana\" title=\"X\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><\/a><a class=\"a2a_button_facebook\" 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href=\"https:\/\/www.brightmine.com\/us\/resources\/hr-compliance\/payroll\/ask-our-experts-avoiding-payroll-gaps-when-changing-pay-frequency-from-semimonthly-to-biweekly\/\">Ask our experts: Avoiding payroll gaps when changing pay frequency from semimonthly to biweekly<\/a><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"color: #202526\">Learn how to avoid payroll compliance gaps when changing pay frequency from semimonthly to biweekly, including PTO, overtime &#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article explains the DOJ\u2019s reclassification of certain medical marijuana products as Schedule III substances and outlines how the change may affect employer drug testing, accommodation, and workplace policy decisions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":13037,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"resource-author","categories":[55],"tags":[],"topic":[70,63],"class_list":["post-13368","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-news","topic-employee-safety","topic-employment-law-updates"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.3 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>DOJ shifts approach to medical marijuana | Brightmine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how the DOJ\u2019s reclassification of medical marijuana affects employer drug testing, accommodation obligations, and workplace policy considerations\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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