Councilor pushes for working group to examine medical marijuana policies for city employees

Currently, the city tests employees for drug use and can discipline an employee if THC metabolites are detected.

Miller, who proposed that councilors examine the issue and will lead the group, said he would like to see medical cannabis “treated the same as any other prescription medication.”

“The whole goal is to bring the experts to the table,” Miller said during a council committee meeting.

Those experts include professors from the University of Tulsa Law School who could speak about cannabis law and medical ethics, Miller said, and an out-of-state doctor who would talk about the medicinal uses of cannabis.

Miller, who owns a cannabis cultivation business, said he decided to advocate for the change in the city’s medical marijuana policies after hearing concerns from members of the local firefighters union.

Miller has said previously that the city is endangering its employees by giving them only one option, potentially powerful and addictive opioids, to treat painful injuries.

Several councilors questioned whether they had the authority to weigh in on employment policies.

“To me, the mayor has that authority to appoint department heads to create these policies,” said Councilor Christian Bengel. “And I feel like we are kind of circumventing their authority.”

City councilors do not have the authority to set employee policies. But Jack Blair, city attorney, told councilors that the City Charter grants them the power to investigate city government and make recommendations.

“That is the entire goal of the working group,” Miller said.

Miller argued that it was not realistic to think the city itself would take up the issue.

“I don’t think that the Mayor’s Office really has a vested interest,” he said. “They have shown year after year that they are not willing or don’t want to take on this as a policy concern.”

Mayor G.T. Bynum, who did not attend the council meeting, said Miller was correct in part but that he’s ready and willing to gather more information on the subject.

“He’s right. In our negotiations with employee unions, my administration’s focus has been on staffing levels and competitive compensation,” Bynum said. “The universal recommendation from the city’s fire chief, Legal Department, and Human Resources Department has been in opposition to what Councilor Miller is proposing.

“But it is a rapidly evolving area and I remain open to learning more through this working group.”

At least two councilors said they would like to participate in the group but could not because they did not have the time.

Councilor Phil Lakin has agreed to help, along with the experts Miller plans to invite, including Blair.

The group is expected to begin meeting in the next few weeks. The meetings will not be public.