LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) —The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners has amended its employee drug testing policy to introduce discretion in disciplining employees who test positive for legal drugs or alcohol. This change, made unanimously during the board’s meeting on July 16, updates the county’s approach to handling legal drug use among employees.

According to MLive, the previous policy mandated strict disciplinary actions—including possible termination for a first offense—for employees testing positive for drugs or alcohol. 

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The revised policy now allows the county to decide on a case-by-case basis whether disciplinary action is necessary for positive tests involving legal drugs. The shift from “will” to “may” in the policy language provides the county with the flexibility to consider individual circumstances before making disciplinary decisions. 

Despite this more lenient approach to legal substances, the county maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards illegal drugs. Taylor Koopman, the Kalamazoo County Government public information officer who spoke with MLive, affirmed that the new policy continues to uphold the county’s commitment to a drug-free workplace.

In conjunction with this policy change, the board also eliminated specific regulations regarding medical marijuana, bringing the county’s policies in line with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008, which recognizes the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes and is regulated by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency.