The December PM cover story “Marijuana at City Hall, It’s Medicine Now” by William Kirchhoff, a local government manager for 30 years, and Stephen Zimney, president, Zimney Associates, New York, New York, doesn’t attempt to advocate for or against the use of medical marijuana. It does offer suggestions on how to practically and strategically address medical marijuana use in the local government workplace, which the authors hope will also lead to further discussions that help managers address the policy-making issues accompanying the workplace use.

For managers who want to take a proactive approach, there is a decision-making tool in the article called the Medical Marijuana Decision Matrix, which can help sort out the requirements for necessary changes that might be a result. There is a list of additional resources; a “what if” decision-making model that local government staff can use to brainstorm the unintended consequences of medical marijuana use; and a checklist that includes these seven policy-related questions:

1. What is the purpose of your medical marijuana management policy?

2. Who will be covered?

3. What behavior will be prohibited?

4. Will employees be required to notify their supervisors of their use of medical marijuana? What will be the consequences if the policy is violated?

5. Will there be a reeducation effort and a return-to-work provision?

6. How will employee rights and confidentiality be protected?

7. Who will be responsible for enforcing the policy for compliance?

For more details on a strategic approach to medical marijuana, as well as other information in the issue, read the December PM.