Firefighters in Howard County (population: 335,000) will no longer face disciplinary action for their off-duty use of medical cannabis.
County officials and representatives of the firefighters union (IAFF Local 2000) reached an agreement in December on a revised countywide substance abuse policy. The new policy takes effect on January 31.
Under the revised policy, county firefighters must report their patient status with Human Resources, and they must refrain from using cannabis within 12 hours of reporting for duty. NORML worked with union members for nearly two years to assist them in securing the revisions.
“Over 86,000 Marylanders are currently registered with state to access medical cannabis products,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “This includes firefighters, EMTs, and other first-responders, who typically consume medical cannabis to mitigate symptoms of chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, and other serious health conditions. Just as patients taking traditional medications do not face discrimination in the workplace unless their on-the-job performance is impaired, those who use medical cannabis during their off-hours should not face sanctions solely because of their status as a medical marijuana patient.”
Although medical cannabis access is legal in Maryland, state law does not provide workplace protections for those who consume it during their off-hours. Lawmakers in 2024 introduced legislation amending this policy, but it failed to advance to the Governor’s desk. Similar legislation was not reintroduced last year.
Nevertheless, lawmakers in several localities, including Baltimore County (population: 854,000), Frederick County (population: 287,000), and the city of Annapolis (population: 40,000) have enacted local ordinances abolishing marijuana drug screening for most public employees.
Additional information on off-duty cannabis use and workplace safety is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Legalization and Impact on the Workplace‘.