Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday signed legislation allowing off-duty medical cannabis use by fire and rescue public safety employees.
This bill prohibits employers of fire and rescue public safety employees who hold medical cannabis ID cards from “disciplining, discharging, or otherwise discriminating against the employee” with regard to the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment; or limiting, segregating, or classifying its employees in any way that would “deprive or tend to deprive the employee of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect” the employee’s job status, according to the bill text.
In testimony provided in support of the bill, Professional Fire Fighters of Maryland President Jeffrey Buddle said the legislation “reflects an effort to balance workplace safety with fairness and consistency in employment practices.”
“Fire and rescue public safety employees perform critical and demanding duties, and maintaining safety standards is essential. However, employees who lawfully use medical cannabis to treat qualifying medical conditions should not face automatic or unjust employment consequences solely because of that status, provided they are not impaired while on duty.” — Buddle in his testimony
The legislation prohibits fire and public safety employees from reporting for duty under the influence of cannabis and requires employers to report on-duty impairment to the State Emergency Medical Services Board.
The bill takes effect on October 1.
