Some city employees will no longer be tested for marijuana on their drug screenings, and if the contract between the city and the firefighters union is approved, the list of exempt employees could soon grow longer.
If the contract is ratified, firefighters will not be tested for marijuana when they go in for drug tests.
It's a policy the firefighters union pulled for as they re-negotiated their contract, officials said Tuesday.
Chief Brandon Blough said between five and eight firefighters are randomly selected for drug testing, usually about six times per year. The city would still be able to require testing for all the other drugs they're currently screening for.
"It's a real dangerous precedent," said Ward 7 Alderman Joe McMenamin. Marijuana testing has already been lifted as a requirement for employees in other areas of the city.
