On May 11, 2011, Delaware became the 17th U.S. jurisdiction (16 states plus D.C.) to legalize the medical use of marijuana. Delaware's law came through the legislative process, adopted by both houses of its state legislature and signed by the governor, while the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act (AMMA) came through voter initiative.
The Delaware law is very similar to the AMMA, however, because it is mostly the model act promulgated by the D.C.-based Medical Marijuana Project, a national advocacy group favoring medical marijuana. It contains protections against employment discrimination identical to those in the AMMA.
Delaware employers have a year to get ready for legal marijuana in their workplaces, as the state won't begin issuing ID cards to Qualified Patients and Designated Caregivers until then.
I have started a blog roll for Arizoneout with the Delaware Employment Law Blog. This pioneer in the world of state-specific legal blogs is edited by Molly DiBianca at fellow Employer Counsels Network member firm Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP in Wilmington, DE.
The Delaware Employment Law Blog already has one post alerting that state's employers to what they are facing in the year ahead. I'll be interested in what else they have to say as Delaware employers adapt to what we already are experiencing here in Arizona.
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