Employment test for marijuana use questioned

Washington marijuana users won’t face losing their job over a positive drug test, if a proposal under consideration in the Legislature wins approval.

Senate Bill 5517 would update the Washington law that allows employers to turn away job applicants and fire employees who test positive for marijuana in drug screenings.

The prime sponsor of the bill, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, said current employment laws must be changed to accommodate legalization of the drug.

“The war on drugs has had a really negative impact on so many communities,” she said. “Part of that has been almost universal appr...