SALEM -- Oregonians who'd hoped for an end to workplace marijuana testing are out of luck. Employers may still require their workers to pass a drug test, after a bill that would have banned the practice hit a dead-end in the state Senate.

Although Senate Bill 301 survived a crucial April 18 deadline for lawmakers to vote it out of committee, backers now acknowledge they lack support to bring it up for a vote in the full Senate.

Leland Berger, a lawyer and longtime cannabis law reform advocate in Portland, said proponents were unable to line up enough votes to guarantee passage in the Senate and without that, Senate President Peter Courtney would not schedule a vote.

Supporters said the bill was necessary to fix a discrepancy: employers can still make passing a cannabis test a condition of employment, two years after the state legalized recreational pot and nearly two decades into Oregon's medical marijuana program.

Some people have said they were fired for using the drug outside of work, including a morning weekend anchor at Eugene's ABC affiliate who said she was fired in 2015 after testing positive for marijuana.

Senate Bill 301 would have expanded existing protections for tobacco consumers, to prevent employers from requiring employees to abstain from any substance that is legal in Oregon as long as it's consumed outside of work hours and doesn't interfere with the employee's duties.

Before the bill died, legislators added an amendment that would have narrowed it to protect only medical marijuana users.

Berger said the amended version of the bill still would have protected medical marijuana patients, who can be fired for using the drug under a 2010 Oregon Supreme Court ruling.

"The people are far ahead of the government on these issues," Berger said. "When you talk to people, it's kind of a no-brainer that unless the person's impaired at work, what difference does their off-site use make?"

Several business groups raised concerns about the bill, including the Oregon Metals Industry Council. James L. Wilson, the group's executive director, pointed out that businesses with federal contracts must maintain drug-free workplaces and employees in the industry "also operate heavy machinery and follow strict safety guidelines" to ensure safety for themselves and co-workers.

-- Hillary Borrud

503-294-4034; @hborrud