Item 3: Ratification of Intergovernmental Relations Committee Actions

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Ms. Wilson indicated the bill, related to medical marijuana, was likely dead. Ms. Bettman said her issue with the staff recommendation was due to her belief that medical marijuana had benefits like other medications like Prozac. Medical marijuana should be included in whatever standards applied to the use of medications. Ms. Towle said the City had the ability to work with an employee to accommodate their medications. Where such medications impacted the employee’s job, the City had the ability to address that by reassigning the employee to other duties. Her concern was about legislation that did not allow the City to take medical marijuana into consideration, giving it greater protection than other medications. Ms. Bettman suggested the status of the bill be changed to Monitor. There was no objection. Ms. Towle noted the staff concern about the bill’s potential conflict with federal law, particularly as it regarded the operation of motorized equipment. SB 465 Ms. Wilson said the bill in question was making progress and had passed the Senate. Ms. Towle said her concern was that medical marijuana was specifically referenced in the law where other medications were not, and specifically referenced it without mentioning an employer’s ability to regulate it. She asked if that created a different set of standards and suggested that question be referred to legal counsel. She agreed that medical marijuana should be treated like other medications but the bills that had been introduced to this point did not do that. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to change the status of the bill to Monitor pending an attorney’s opinion. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. HB 2372 Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to change the status of the bill to Monitor. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. HB 2808 Ms. Wilson reported that no hearing was scheduled on the bill as yet. The bill would expand the ability of an employer to prohibit the use of medical marijuana in the work place. Ms. Bettman, seconded by Mr. Pryor, moved to change the status of the bill to Monitor with direction to the lobbyist to ensure that medical marijuana was treated in the same stan- dardized fashion as other prescription medications. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. SB 423 Ms. Wilson recalled that the committee previously agreed to drop the bill from consideration. Ms. Bettman, seconded by, moved to change the status of the bill to Monitor and to lobby for a bill that standardized the treatment of medical marijuana. The motion passed unani- mously, 3:0. MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations March 22, 2007 Page 9