CLEVELAND — Ohio’s new marijuana law is affecting the process of how city governments hire new employees. 


What You Need To Know

  • The City of Cleveland has changed its hiring process 

  • The city will no longer require drug testing for certain employees 

  • Candidates applying for jobs in Cincinnati and Columbus will still be required to take drug tests

In Cleveland, candidates looking to get hired for a public job will no longer be required to get drug tested. The exception is those who accept jobs that are safety/security sensitive or a part of the Department of Transportation.

However, they still can’t come to work impaired by marijuana or use drugs while on the job. The city will still conduct random drug testing on its employees. The city hopes the changes to its pre-employment screening process will help it hire on more talent.

“We’re looking for quite a few more to come and join our team,” said Matt Cole, Cleveland HR director. “And we just want people to realize that this is not a barrier to employment.”

While Cleveland has changed its pre-employment policies, candidates applying for jobs in Cincinnati and Columbus will still be required to take drug tests.