Annapolis committee backs ordinance to remove cannabis from most city employee drug tests

Annapolis’ Housing and Human Welfare Committee voted Jan. 9, 2025, to give a favorable recommendation to Ordinance 03524, the “Fair Cannabis Employment Practices” ordinance, which would eliminate routine urine screening for cannabis for most city employees while preserving testing where federal or state rules require it.

The ordinance, sponsored by Alderman Jeffrey Savage, would remove cannabis from the city’s standard pre‑employment and post‑employment urine panels and move the city toward manager observation or non‑biologic cognitive/performance tests to assess on‑the‑job impairment. The committee advanced the measure to the full City Council after the administration offered a technical amendment clarifying the city’s ability to investigate and discipline employees who are impaired on the job.

The measure’s sponsor said the current urine test can detect cannabis metabolites for weeks or months after use, a period long after any impairment would have ended, and therefore can penalize lawful…