Regarding impairment in the workplace: 

State Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, who chairs the committee that heard the bill Tuesday, said he thinks the measure “may make some sense.”

At the same time, he said, it’s important to balance “respecting people’s rights” with addressing “the issue of ‘when is somebody impaired?’ ”

He said it’s not always easy to tell when someone has recently used marijuana, as opposed to alcohol, which can often be smelled on people’s clothes and skin after heavy use. The federal prohibition on marijuana has limited research into the drug, which Sells said has hampered efforts to gather more data on what marijuana impairment looks like.

“It’s not a simple issue,” Sells said. (1/29/20)