Legislation to establish employment protections for legal consumers of cannabis has been prefiled in the Oklahoma Legislature.
Oklahoma State Representative Forrest Bennett (D) has prefiled House Bill 1714 for the state’s 2025 legislative session, set to begin on February 3. The measure would provide employment protections for individuals who lawfully consume marijuana. Currently, that would apply to medical marijuana patients, but it would extend to recreational consumers if the state were to legalize it down the road.
House Bill 1714 prohibits employers from discriminating against job applicants based on their lawful off-the-job use of marijuana. Specifically, it addresses the results of drug tests that indicate nonpsychoactive cannabis metabolites, ensuring such findings cannot be grounds for denying employment. The bill, however, includes several exemptions for safety-sensitive positions and those requiring federal government background checks or security clearances.
Under the proposed legislation, employers can still maintain drug-free workplace policies and conduct scientifically valid drug tests for impairment, post-accident investigations, or suspicion of substance use on the job. The measure also clarifies that testing for cannabis is permitted if required by state or federal law, but employers may not access cannabis-specific test results unless the position is exempted.
If approved, the bill would take effect on November 1, 2025.
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