New laws will give Nevada’s former marijuana offenders a greater chance at contributing to the economic vibrancy of the state, allowing them to be better engaged with the community. Starting January 1, 2020, employers in the state of Nevada will no longer have the legal right to discriminate against Marijuana users, due to the fact that the state legalized marijuana use in 2016 and decriminalized many marijuana offenses. Nevada also restored voting rights to many convicted felons in July, including those with marijuana-related felony charges, as the government believes these people should not have to lose employment or economic opportunity for consuming a now-legal substance, with exceptions to those who work in public safety.
Nevada legislators updated state policy by passing bill AB 132. Bill AB 132 prevents employers from discriminating against an employee or prospective employee because of a positive identification of marijuana use on a drug test. Since the state recognizes that marijuana can be found in a consumer’s system long after the consumer is under its immediate influence, legislators agreed that testing positive for marijuana on a drug test should no longer be used against employees if they are not working in public safety, the medical field, or operating a motor vehicle/heavy machinery on the job, with other exceptions regarding the safety of the public.
Nevada also passed AB 431, a bill that simplifies when a convicted felon’s civil rights are automatically restored and identifies the specific conditions in which voter registration is canceled. Before July of 2019, a convicted felon’s ability to regain voting rights depended on the level of the felony and the time they were discharged from the sentence, and the county clerk was required to cancel the voter registration of convicted felons. Now, under the new law, the county clerk will only cancel voter registration if the convicted felon is currently serving a term in prison. Once the individual’s term is up, their right to vote will be restored. Bill AB 431 gives convicted felons who have finished their term the opportunity to contribute to society and better improve their community.