Firefighter urges Clark County to adopt medical-cannabis workplace policy; court asks staff to draft ordinance

A Clark County firefighter and member of the county’s emergency services spoke during public comment to present a proposed medical-cannabis policy and urged the Fiscal Court to adopt rules allowing medical cannabis for qualifying employees while keeping workplace safety safeguards.

The commenter said he struggled with mental health and described medical cannabis as a “safer, less invasive alternative” to some prescriptions; he provided a written draft policy to the court and asked it be considered. "This policy isn't about endorsing reckless behavior. It's about providing a safe, regulated alternative for those who need it most," the commenter said.

Court members discussed the topic in the meeting. One magistrate expressed reservations and said he would "lean more to, postponing it or prohibiting it until we get a little bit more information to make a decision." Another court member suggested providing sample ordinances and asked the commenter to prepare a proposed ordinance for the next meeting. At least one court official said the city has already adopted a similar policy and that the county attorney's office would need to review administrative-policy options.

The discussion centered on balancing employee access for medical uses with maintaining workplace safety and operational readiness. Court members asked staff to provide sample ordinances and to prepare a draft ordinance or administrative policy for the next meeting so the court can review specific legal language and implementation mechanisms.

Ending: Court members did not adopt a policy during the meeting; they asked staff to prepare sample ordinances and a draft ordinance or administrative proposal for further consideration at a later meeting.