Chamber of Commerce Opposes Prop. 19
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)_ The state's business lobby is taking a stand against a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana use in California.
California's Chamber of Commerce says Proposition 19 could open the door to smoking pot in the workplace.
A new legal analysis from the Chamber of Commerce says Proposition 19 could lead to a surge in wrongful-termination lawsuits if employers try to fire workers who use marijuana on the job.
Chamber spokesperson Denise Davis says while employers can ban alcoholic drinks in the workplace, the same would not be true for marijuana under Prop. 19.
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"It creates a new standard of actual impairment, which is a legal test that has not yet been defined or tested in court. Alcohol would be a completely different situation than pot. If Prop. 19 became law, you would have a higher standard for pot than you would for alcohol use," said Davis.
However, Prop. 19 campaign strategist Dan Newman says the Chamber's claim is a scare tactic.
"Presumably the Chamber does not prohibit its employees from drinking alcohol at home as long as it doesn't affect their job performance and the same would apply for marijuana under Prop. 19," said Newman.
A new CBS 5-Survey USA poll shows Prop. 19 is supported by a margin of 50 to 40 percent.
