Washington Court Dismisses Medical Marijuana Claims Asserted By Employee

Another Washington court has held that an employer lawfully may terminate an employee for using marijuana, even when the employee had a prescription and used it off-duty.
 
After a workplace injury, Safeway tested its employee, Swaw, for drugs. Swaw tested positive for marijuana due to the use of medical marijuana outside of work, subject to a valid prescription. Safeway terminated him for testing positive for a controlled substance pursuant to its drug-free workplace policy. Swaw brought suit, alleging his former employer unlawfully discriminated against him on the basis of a disability.
 
The Court dismissed all of Swaw's claims, holding that Washington law does not impose upon employers a duty to accommodate medical marijuana in drug-free workplaces and that users of an illegal intoxicant are not a protected class.