June

"Georgia became the 36th state, plus Washington, D.C., to legalize marijuana extracts to treat illnesses. Gov. Nathan Deal signed the ""Haleigh's Hope Act,"" which immediately legalized the use of medical marijuana to treat eight serious medical conditions (the law does not permit the smoking of marijuana.) The law specifically allows employers to refuse to ""accommodate"" an employee's use of medical cannabis oil. It also allows employers to take adverse action against both on-duty and off-duty users of medical cannabis under a drug policy. Marijuana is still an illegal drug under federal law. However, medical marijuana users may be protected under state or local disability discrimination, or ""lawful products,"" laws."

A growing number of workers in a wide variety of professions are abusing stimulants in an effort to stay competitive, experts tell The New York Times.

Abuse of stimulants to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Adderall, has long been an issue for college students. A recent analysis estimated that 17% of college students misuse ADHD drugs. There are no reliable estimates of how many American workers misuse stimulants, but dozens of people interviewed by newspaper said they and co-workers misused stimulants. These drugs, when taken in high doses, can cause anxiety, addiction and hallucinations. Some doctors and medical ethicists are concerned there is pressure in some workplaces to use stimulants in an attempt to become more productive.

"A retail employee in line for a store general manager's position lost not only the promotion, but his job, as well, when he failed or refused to take a test because he could not provide a urine specimen as a result of "shy bladder syndrome." The syndrome, or paruresis, makes it difficult for the individual to urinate in public restrooms.

A federal district court in Ohio rejected the discharged employee's ADA claim and granted summary judgment for the employer, concluding that even if the employee's condition was protected by the ADA, he had not shown that he had ever made the Company aware of it prior to his dismissal, or had asked for an accommodation."