Medical Marijuana Employment Discrimination Lawsuit Moves Forward in RI
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
The ACLU of Rhode Island was in R.I. Superior Court Tuesday morning arguing on behalf of Christine Callaghan, a URI graduate student who was denied summer employment last year at a fabrics company because of her status as a registered medical marijuana user -- and Judge Richard Licht denied the defendants' motion to dismiss in all respects, and the ACLU's lawsuit will move forward.
"We believe it is important to keep in mind the significance of this issue," said ACLU's Steve Brown. "If the defendants have their way, any of the thousands of people in Rhode Island using medical marijuana for serious medical conditions would be forced to choose between taking lawfully this medication to relieve their pain or not having a job. That is a cruel and unacceptable choice, and certainly not what the General Assembly had in mind in passing this important law."
Suit Grounds
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe ACLU filed a lawsuit on Callaghan's behalf in November, arguing that “a potential employer’s failure to hire a medical marijuana patient because of, or related to, his or her status as a medical marijuana user and/or cardholder” constitutes disability discrimination in violation of the RI Civil Rights Act, and also violates the medical marijuana law, which protects cardholders from discrimination in employment.
Additional information about the lawsuit, which is being handled by ACLU volunteer attorney Carly Beauvais Iafrate, can be found here.
Related Slideshow: The Highest Marijuana Prices in 2015 in New England by State
Forbes.com recently released a graphic that looks at how much an ounce of marijuana costs in every state in America, as well as the District of Columbia. The national average is $324.
Below is a look at where New England states fall in the rankings, as well as where marijuana is the most expensive and least expensive nationally.
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