A lawsuit filed in Middlesex County by a former Amazon employee is the latest development highlighting an emerging disconnect in workplace law: the clash between companies that have zero-tolerance drug policies and the state’s recognition of marijuana as a legitimate medical remedy for a host of maladies.
In a complaint filed in Superior Court last month, D.J.C. — a Parlin resident who’s identified only by his initials in court papers — alleges he was wrongly fired from his job at an Amazon distribution center in Edison last summer when he failed a random drug test, even though he has a medical marijuana card and that the drug had been prescribed for him to treat his anxiety disorder. He’s looking for reinstatement, back pay and punitive damages.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment, but its lawyers are seeking to have the case removed to federal court, and requesting more time to respond to the complaint, records show.
“Medical marijuana patients make up a big percentage of people,” D.J.C. said. “Honestly, I was shocked I was the first person they were encountering.”