Kansas City ends marijuana screening for most new hires

Thursday the Kansas City Council approved an ordinance that will end marijuana screenings, prior to hire, for most city positions.

Positions requiring a commercial driver’s license, the care or supervision of children and the disabled, or medical patients are exempted from the ordinance, as law enforcement positions.

“It shall be unlawful for the City of Kansas City to require a prospective employee to submit to testing for the presence of marijuana in the prospective employee’s system as a condition of employment,” reads the ordinance.

Introduced by Mayor Quinton Lucas (D) in July, the ordinance still allows for testing of other drugs, but brings the city’s policies in line with current law.

Since his election, Lucas has championed for criminal reform, often as it pertains to marijuana offenses and those that impact Black men and women at disproportionately high numbers.

During his tenure, Kansas City has removed local criminal penalties for cannabis possession, Lucas has issued sweeping pardons for those with municipal violations for marijuana, and now the city policies reflect the revised stance on cannabis in the community.

The Council approved the ordinance 11 to 2 with only Heather Hall, District 1, and Dan Fowler, District 2, voting against the measure.

Opportunities should not be foreclosed unnecessarily.

Glad to see passage of our law eliminating pre-employment screening for marijuana at Kansas City government for most positions.

One step of many in becoming a fairer city.

— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) September 23, 2021