Key Points
Howard County firefighters medical cannabis rules are changing in a way that could reshape day-to-day life for the people who respond to emergencies across the county.
County Executive Calvin Ball announced Friday that Howard County firefighters will be allowed to use medical cannabis while off-duty, following an update to the county’s Fire and Rescue Services Substance Abuse Policy. The change comes through an agreement between the county government and the Howard County International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 2000, and it represents the first update to the policy since 1991.
The revised policy is set to take effect Jan. 31, 2026, and it is being presented as a move tied to health, safety, and modernizing workplace rules for a profession that carries heavy physical and mental demands.
What changed in the Howard County firefighters medical cannabis policy
Under the updated approach, uniformed members of the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services will be permitted to use medical marijuana while off-duty, but with clear limits and administrative requirements.
The policy specifically states that cannabis use cannot occur within 12 hours of a work shift, setting a defined window meant to separate off-duty use from on-duty responsibilities. In addition, members who use medical cannabis must provide a valid medical cannabis authorization form to the county’s Office of Human Resources, according to Ball.
Those two requirements—timing and documentation—sit at the center of the new framework. They are also likely to be the details most closely followed by employees and supervisors as the effective date approaches.
The updated policy does not stand alone as a single change. It also includes:
- New reasonable suspicion testing standards
- Expanded post-accident testing
- An amendment to the county’s current alcohol testing standards
Taken together, the package signals a broader overhaul of how substance use rules are written and enforced within Fire and Rescue Services, not just a narrow adjustment focused on cannabis.
A policy update decades in the making
A key detail behind the announcement is how long it has been since the county last revised the policy. The agreement marks the first update to the Fire and Rescue Services Substance Abuse Policy since 1991.
For the union, the timing matters. Union leaders have said they have been pushing for this change for more than two years, arguing that medical cannabis could support members dealing with a range of conditions.
In practical terms, the new rules are being framed as an answer to long-running requests from firefighters who wanted county policy to better reflect what is already permitted for medical use in Maryland, while also keeping workplace standards and testing rules clearly defined.
Why leaders say the change matters for firefighter health
Ball described the change as part of the county’s commitment to supporting firefighters and the health challenges associated with the profession.
“The job is a dangerous one, and it comes with an increased risk for cancer, heart and lung disease, and behavioral health conditions, including sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder,” Ball said in a statement. “This policy reinforces our commitment to supporting our members, who display courage, sacrifice, and dedication in order to protect our community.”
That statement lays out the lens the county executive’s office is using: the Howard County firefighters medical cannabis update is being positioned as a workplace policy shift designed to better support members who manage job-related health issues.
The union echoed that approach, focusing on how access to medical cannabis could fit into how members manage ongoing health concerns.
“This updated policy represents a significant step forward by allowing access to a medication our personnel can use to manage the many physical and mental health conditions that commonly affect our members,” said union representative Brad Klukas.
Those comments highlight how the policy is being presented publicly—not as a broad cultural statement, but as a change tied to medical access and the realities of firefighter health.
The 12-hour rule and HR authorization requirement
Two operational details in the Howard County update stand out because they turn a general permission into an enforceable policy.
First is the 12-hour restriction: cannabis use cannot occur within 12 hours of a work shift. For firefighters working rotating schedules, that kind of fixed window becomes a central reference point for how the rule is applied.
Second is the documentation requirement: a valid medical cannabis authorization form must be provided to the Office of Human Resources. By placing the authorization step with HR, the policy creates a formal recordkeeping component tied directly to medical cannabis use.
Together, these rules define what the county will treat as compliant off-duty use under the revised standards. They also make clear that the policy isn’t simply “allowed” or “not allowed,” but structured around timing and documentation.
As the Jan. 31, 2026 effective date approaches, these are likely to be the details that shape training, internal communication, and day-to-day decisions for employees who choose to use medical cannabis off-duty.
Testing and enforcement updates included in the policy change
The county’s announcement also notes that the update goes beyond cannabis permissions by adjusting other parts of the substance use framework.
The revised policy includes new reasonable suspicion testing standards and expanded post-accident testing, and it amends current alcohol testing standards.
While the announcement does not list every detail of how those standards are written, the inclusion of these components signals that the county and union negotiated a wider refresh of the policy—one that addresses how suspected impairment or incidents may be handled within Fire and Rescue Services.
For employees, the significance is that the Howard County firefighters medical cannabis update arrives alongside a broader rewrite of the rules that govern testing, incidents, and substance-related procedures.
The union’s long push for the change
Union leaders have characterized the update as a “win,” pointing to the length of time they advocated for it. The union had been pushing for a policy change for more than two years, arguing that medicinal cannabis could help members manage issues that can arise in the job.
Those issues, as cited in the announcement, include:
- Chronic pain
- Sleep disorders
- PTSD
- Other mental and physical concerns
Klukas’ statement underscores the union’s position: that the update provides access to a medication members can use off-duty to manage conditions that affect firefighters.
For the county, the agreement also signals that labor and management were able to land on shared terms, including the 12-hour restriction and the requirement that members provide a valid authorization form to HR.
A broader regulatory moment: marijuana reclassification
The Howard County policy shift also arrives alongside a major federal development referenced in the report: President Trump reclassified marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III, initiating potential changes to the way the drug is regulated.
The timing is notable: the move in Howard County comes a day after that federal reclassification announcement. While the county policy is its own workplace rule and has its own effective date in 2026, the mention of reclassification helps explain why cannabis policy conversations are evolving quickly at multiple levels.
At the state level, the context is also clear in the report: both medical and recreational cannabis use are legal in Maryland.
That legal environment is part of what makes this update significant for local government employees. The Howard County firefighters medical cannabis policy is explicitly designed to define how off-duty medical use is treated within Fire and Rescue Services, with guardrails written into the updated rules.
What happens next before the policy takes effect
The updated policy is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 31, 2026. Between now and then, the county and the department will have a set timeline to prepare for implementation.
Because the updated policy includes a specific 12-hour restriction and an HR authorization requirement, implementation will likely center on ensuring that members understand:
- When off-duty use is permitted and when it is not (the 12-hour window)
- What documentation must be provided (a valid medical cannabis authorization form)
- How testing standards and incident procedures are defined under the updated policy
The county has also highlighted that the policy includes expanded post-accident testing and changes to alcohol testing standards, which may require updated internal materials and alignment across leadership and labor groups.
The agreement itself—between the county government and IAFF Local 2000—also signals that the change is meant to be durable, with defined rules rather than informal practice.
Conclusion
The Howard County firefighters medical cannabis change marks a major update to Fire and Rescue Services policy, allowing off-duty medical cannabis use beginning Jan. 31, 2026, while setting clear conditions: no cannabis use within 12 hours of a work shift and a requirement that members provide a valid medical cannabis authorization form to the county’s Office of Human Resources.
County Executive Calvin Ball and union leaders described the shift as a meaningful step to support firefighters dealing with health challenges that can come with the job, including behavioral health conditions such as sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. The policy also introduces new reasonable suspicion testing standards, expands post-accident testing, and amends alcohol testing standards—highlighting that this is a broad modernization of rules last updated in 1991.
With the policy set for early 2026 and coming amid a broader regulatory moment following President Trump’s reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, Howard County’s update stands out as a significant workplace policy change with clear guidelines for how off-duty medical use will be handled moving forward.
