Albuquerque, NM: Bernalillo County (population: 672,000) commissioners voted unanimously to revise the county’s Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace Policy to remove cannabis “when used legally off-duty for medical or recreational purposes” from its definition of illegal drugs. As a result, most public employees will no longer be subject to either pre-employment or random workplace testing for cannabis.

Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, is the most populous in the state.

The commissioners’ actions are similar to those of lawmakers in numerous other municipalities and counties nationwide, including Atlanta, Cleveland, the District of Columbia, Philadelphia, and St. Louis, which also limit marijuana screening for most public employees.

California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island have adopted similar protections statewide.

Lawmakers legalized the adult-use marijuana market in New Mexico in 2021. However, the law does not provide workplace protections for those who consume cannabis while away from the job.

Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Legalization and Impact on the Workplace.’