NEARLY two-thirds of Americans now live in a state that allows medical marijuana in some form. Just this year, five Southern states, including Texas, allowed limited access to therapies based on cannabis. The revolt against the blanket federal marijuana prohibition has now spread to at least 29 states.

Yet using marijuana as medicine — and it clearly can be useful medicine — can get you fired in most of those states (and the District of Columbia), even if the use is off the clock. The Supreme Court of Colorado affirmed that last week, echoing similar cases in Washington, Oregon and California, where there are no mandatory workplace accommodations for therapeutic use of cannabis.

The antiquated federal Controlled Substances Act’s bans on marijuana use pre-empts state laws. To accommodate legitimate medical-marijuana use for workers, federal law must change. [Read more at The Seattle Times]