As medical marijuana is rolled out across the Commonwealth, local officials are still coming up with rules for its cultivation and use. In Rowan County, the fiscal court proposed that in addition to licensing from the state, local licenses will be required for businesses involved in cultivating, processing, producing, testing, and dispensing of medical cannabis. Each license will cost $500. The measure passed its first reading at the most recent fiscal court meeting.
As for its use, Judge Executive Harry Clark said there is a zero-tolerance policy for county employees on the job.
“It is a prescribed drug, and it would be no different than any other prescription drug that would affect your performance, we don’t allow that either,” Clark said.
The Kentucky legalization of medical cannabis goes against federal regulations which officials report are unenforced.
Clark said all schedule one drugs are prohibited from being used on county jobs because they can affect workplace performance.
“We have a lot of very critical functions in this county. We have the ambulance service; those folks are potentially going to shock you back to life,” Clark said. “You would think you would not want those folks under the influence doing these things. Everything we do in this county serves the people”.
Updated language in the county’s drug policy reflects that medical cannabis is included in the list of prohibited substances. Any employee found using marijuana or under the influence of it on the job will face consequences. Employees who test positive for THC will be also be held accountable.
Rowan county officials said the future of cannabis regulation is dependent on the federal government’s schedule, the state government, and the Kentucky Association of Counties.
H/T: www.wmky.org
