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Rep. Diego Vincent Camacho (D-Saipan) shares that he is glad that Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has finally signed into law House Bill 23-50 which essentially removes marijuana from all pre-employment drug testing for government employees as this levels the playing field for all those interested in applying for government positions.
Last Wednesday, Palacios signed H.B. 23-50 into Public Law 23-27 which basically removes marijuana from all pre-employment drug testing for government employees with certain exceptions.
The bill’s author, Camacho, shared that the bill encourages anyone to apply for government positions regardless if they test positive for marijuana use.
“I’m glad the governor finally passed this bill. The key word here is ‘pre-employment.’ The bill is really just for pre-employment. It’s so there’s no discrimination against those who choose to consume cannabis, legally, before trying to obtain employment in the government. It’s really to encourage those who have been seeking employment in the government sector and to get that door open. Anything after that is on the employee,” he said.
Although in a perfect world, Camacho said, the aim was to remove marijuana completely from drug tests, there were a lot of concerns.
“Especially with [cannabis] still being heavily regulated federally. But it’s only a matter of time before cannabis will be rescheduled to a Schedule III drug. I believe that is happening as we speak,” he said.
As for drug testing while employed, Camacho said each agency and department has its own regulations in terms of drug testing.
“Nothing changes in terms of reasonable suspicion and [the employee] was told to undergo a drug test. If they’re found positive, that’s on the employee,” he said.
Meanwhile, Camacho shares that there are some exemptions.
“We mirrored this from states that have introduced similar legislation. So, this bill would exempt those in law enforcement, first responders, and safety sensitive positions. The public law also gives the Office of Personnel Management the ability to determine those positions,” he said.
Camacho also clarified that this bill is only for those applying for jobs in the government. However, he remains hopeful that the legislation will encourage the private sector to follow the government’s lead.
“We can’t impede on the private sector as cannabis is still heavily regulated on the federal side but that could all change once the drug is rescheduled. For now, this is all that we have control over. I hope this bill does encourage those in the private sector to amend their regulations in terms of cannabis. After all, it’s legal here,” he said.
“We need to get with the times and treat marijuana similar to alcohol. For example, no employee is going to choose to go to work intoxicated, it should be no different with cannabis. That’s the main reasoning for this. We have to move forward and we need to trust our people and employees to comply,” he added.
”}]] Rep. Diego Vincent Camacho (D-Saipan) shares that he is glad that Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has finally signed into law House Bill 23-50 which essentially removes marijuana from all pre-employment Read More