Kathryn Brown – Cannabis Industry

April 18, 2024 by Kathryn R. Brown

EEO-1 Filing Deadline Is Fast Approaching for Large Cannabis Employers

Having just submitted your company’s tax returns for 2023—no easy feat as a cannabis business—you may be hoping for a break from regulatory filings. If your business has 100 or more employees, however, you may need to assemble 2023 data for an entirely different purpose as another federal filing deadline looms in June of 2024.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency that enforces workplace anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws, requires private employers that had 100 employees in the fourth calendar quarter of 2023 (October 1- December 31) to file an EEO-1 Component 1 report. The report consists of specific workforce data, including job titles and sex, race and ethnicity demographics. Continue reading “EEO-1 Filing Deadline Is Fast Approaching for Large Cannabis Employers”

December 4, 2023 by Duane Morris

Prepare Workplace Policies for Legalized Cannabis

Kathryn Brown authored the article “Prepare Workplace Policies for Legalized Cannabis,” which was published in the Legal Connections section of Columbus Business First.

On November 7, 2023, Ohio made history when a majority of voters approved Issue 2, a proposed law to control and regulate cannabis for Ohioans 21 and older. In so doing, Ohio became the 24th state to legalize cannabis for adult use without a medical card. Read the full article.

October 24, 2023 by Kathryn R. Brown

Ohio Is Poised To Become The Next State to Legalize Cannabis For Adult Use

On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters will decide the fate of Ballot Issue 2, a citizen-initiated proposed law that would commercialize, regulate, legalize and tax cannabis for adult use. Recent polling data suggests broad support for Issue 2. A majority vote in favor of Issue 2 would make Ohio the 24^th state—and the sixth in the Midwest—to make recreational cannabis legal under state law.

If Issue 2 passes, a new chapter 3780 in the Ohio Revised Code called Adult Use Cannabis Control would take effect December 7, 2023. However, the cannabis industry expects sales in Ohio of adult use cannabis to commence in the summer of 2024. Continue reading “Ohio Is Poised To Become The Next State to Legalize Cannabis For Adult Use”

February 17, 2023March 29, 2023 by Duane Morris

Probe Shows OSHA Regulating Cannabis Cos. Like All Others

For years, legal commentary about cannabis and the workplace has focused on employees’ off-duty cannabis use, as well as employers’ rights to test and discipline employees for off-duty cannabis use.

But with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s investigation of Trulieve, one of the largest multistate cannabis companies, the spotlight now shines on the safety of the licensed cannabis workplace itself and whether on-duty contact with cannabis may pose health hazards…

Read the full article.

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 by Duane Morris

Is Your Business OSHA-Ready? Health and Safety Implications for Cannabis Industry Workplaces

If you employ workers in the cannabis industry, consider including workplace health and safety among your top priorities as you set goals for the new year.

With the rapid growth of the cannabis industry comes increased scrutiny from government regulators, including those charged with enforcing workplace health and safety laws. For example, in December 2022, cannabis producer and retailer Trulieve announced that it reached a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) of a citation issued in June 2022 for alleged violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The citation followed OSHA’s investigation of the death of a Trulieve production worker from asthma-related complications allegedly related to her occupational inhalation of cannabis dust. As part of the resolution of the citation, Trulieve agreed to study the hazards of exposure to ground cannabis dust for purposes of determining whether cannabis dust should be classified as a “hazardous chemical” for OSHA purposes. Expected to be complete in May 2023, the study is likely to have nationwide implications for employers in the cannabis industry. Continue reading “Is Your Business OSHA-Ready? Health and Safety Implications for Cannabis Industry Workplaces”