Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC Poised To Ban Marijuana Drug Testing Of Most Job Seekers
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 12, 2019
Modified Apr 12, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Photo by John McCarten, NYC Council
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Apr 12, 2019
Modified Apr 12, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
As a sign of a sea change in attitude toward marijuana use, New York is on the brink of enacting a trailblazing bill that prevents most New York City employers from forcing applicants to submit to a drug test for marijuana.
Sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, the bill passed overwhelmingly on Tuesday in a 40-to-4 vote. It applies to most companies, both private and public. However, the measure will exclude industries where safety and security are a concern, such as law enforcement, construction, commercial driving, and health and child care. Also, employers could be permitted to perform a drug test on an employee shows signs of being under the influence of marijuana during work hours.
The proposed law would also not supersede federal drug-test requirements on federal and state employees or contractors and transportation workers.
The bill is believed to put New York at the vanguard of cities in the U.S. working toward preventing employers from enforcing punitive policies on marijuana use, according to Dionna King, a policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance, an organization which works on drug reform initiatives across the country.
King said that to her office’s knowledge, most of the legislation elsewhere has extended to individuals using medical marijuana.
“In that sense, it’s a huge step in creating legal protection and having it be made a part of policy,” she said.
Press officials at City Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gothamist. However, Olivia Lapeyrolerie, a mayoral spokesperson, told the New York Times that de Blasio fully supports the bill.
In a press release, Williams said, "Testing isn't a deterrent to using marijuana, it's an impediment to opportunity that dates back to the Reagan era's war on drugs measure that's now a war on workers. Prospective employers don't test for alcohol so marijuana should be no different, but in no way does this bill justify individuals going to work under the influence.”
Testing for drug use by employers ramped up during the 1980s under former President Ronald Reagan, who mandated drug testing at federal agencies. Critics have faulted Reagan's aggressive anti-drug campaign and political hysteria with giving way to a zero-tolerance policy that continued to linger into the early 1990s.
Drug Policy Alliance has been working on a package of bills related to marijuana justice reform that have been introduced in the City Council. On Wednesday, the City Council held a hearing on a bill that would require the city’s Administration for Children’s Services to report data on the role marijuana plays in its investigations, driven by the concern that recreational marijuana use disproportionately affects low-income families of color.
In marijuana-driven cases, the city’s child welfare system needs to provide more transparency, King said.
Opponents of the bill included the Partnership for New York City, a coalition of business interests. Its president Kathryn S. Wylde said the legislation was interfering with "the relationship between employers and employees" and would also drive up costs for companies that needed to change their policies to adjust to a new city law.
Although the legalization was cited as one of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s priorities, the measure did not make the recent budget.
Nonetheless, progressive Democrats and advocates of legalization have been keeping the issue at the forefront, not only to legalize marijuana but remove the punitive policies associated with the drug.
“We are happy with this progress,” King said. In the meantime, she added, “If the state is not there yet, we’re going to work with municipalities.”
Tagged
City Council
drug policy
marijuana legalization
public advocate
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Serbians forced to wait hours to vote at NYC consulate as Balkan nation holds election
Early voting may have kicked off in New York this weekend, but Serbian immigrants seeking to vote had a much tighter window on Sunday.
By
Jill Webb
and
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 2:57 p.m. ET
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
News
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .