On August 1st, 2023, Minnesota legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older. See the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management for more information. However, the possession and use of marijuana remains prohibited under federal law.

Employee Impacts

As a recipient of considerable federal funding such as financial aid and federal grants for research, both the Drug-Free Workplace Act and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments require the University to prohibit the use and possession and distribution of all federally controlled substances. Therefore, University employees will still be expected to follow the University’s Drug-Free policy, Smoke-and Tobacco-Free policy, and Code of Conduct.

Information about how the new marijuana legalization will impact employees system-wide was communicated to faculty and staff by the Office of Human Resources in a message on May 31st, 2023. The message includes impacts to existing policies, as well as employee/supervisor procedures for navigating employee substance abuse.

A Note to Supervisors

If you suspect that one of your employees is impaired from marijuana, you are expected to report the non-compliance. You can find instructions and resources on the University Compliance Program, Reporting Suspected Misconduct website. 

See our federal DOT Drug and Alcohol Programs page for more information on federal regulations for reporting employees who are required to participate.