Effective January 1, 2014, Illinois became the 20th state to legalize medical marijuana. But the passage of this law has created concerns for employers. The Illinois Compassionate use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act enacted a pilot program that is scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2018. The act permits individuals who are suffering from certain identified “debilitating medical conditions” to alleviate their symptoms and to exempt qualifying patients from criminal prosecution under Illinois law. Using medical marijuana may create a safety hazard under federal or state law because the employee is under the influence or in fact impaired.

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