OFFICE of Personnel Management Director Frances Torres-Salas on Wednesday reiterated OPM’s stand against Senate Bill 22-1, which proposes to remove marijuana from the list of pre-employment drug testing for those seeking government jobs, and random testing for current government employees.
Authored by Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider, S.B. 22-1 will exclude marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinols from all pre-employment testing for prospective employees or applicants, and from random testing for current employees.
Asked by Rep. Richard Lizama who administers drug testing for Department of Public Safety personnel, Torres-Salas said it’s OPM.
She noted that Public Law 18-46 requires mandatory drug-testing for law enforcement officers. These include police officers, Corrections officers, firefighters, Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco Control and conservation officers.
She said it is critical to continue to enforce the mandatory drug-testing because “let’s face it, we have government employees who come to work high.
“That is why I don’t understand why the Senate would like to remove marijuana from the list of drug testing for government employees,” she added.
Torres-Salas said she already submitted her comment regarding the bill, and told the senators she doesn’t agree with them.
“Yes, cannabis is legal in the CNMI now, but you can’t be a government employee or in a sensitive position and be on drugs — you can’t,” she said.
The legalization of marijuana allows people to consume it but not while working for the government, she pointed out.
She also explained that marijuana is still an illegal substance at the federal level, and OPM’s regulations mirror federal rules and laws.
She said the CNMI is a recipient of many federal grants, and she doesn’t want any department or agency to jeopardize their eligibility for federal assistance.
