Utah lawmakers have approved a bill to protect the rights of medical cannabis patients employed by government agencies.
Joel Ferry, the House floor sponsor of the bill, said that the law is designed to protect patients legally using cannabis under Utah’s Medical Cannabis Act, which was passed by voters in 2018.
Utah lawmakers drafted the legislation after an Ogden firefighter was suspended without pay in September of last year for refusing to surrender his medical marijuana card.
“We already have extensive provisions for… people where medical cannabis interferes with their ability to do their job, that’s all in the law,” agreed Republican Rep.
Other lawmakers noted that the bill was contrary to federal law, which still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance.