CNMI Senators sparking debate over marijuana use by government employees off the job at a confirmation hearing on Rota for a seat on the Civil Service Commission. 

Sen. Donald Manglona asked, "What is your opinion on drug use when it comes to law enforcement positions? Other nominees have mentioned a zero tolerance but I just wanted to hear where you stand on your concerns about that."

Elvira Mesngon, a longtime school counselor nominated to represent Rota, responded. "I am going to refrain from responding personally. However, this will require me to look really in-depth and how it affects the entire workforce. In regards to law enforcement…it is…law enforcement has higher standards. So, I can agree that in regard to law enforcement, it should be zero-tolerance," she said. 

The policy on drug use can be changed in two ways: through regulations by the Commission or through statute. In May, House lawmaker Diego Vincent Camacho introduced a bill “to remove marijuana from all pre-employment drug testing for government applicants with certain exceptions.” 

Those exceptions include law enforcement, first responders, and federally funded staff. In a social media post in May, he wrote, “Government employers do not prohibit employees or applicants from engaging in off-duty legalized alcohol use. Such employers should do the same with marijuana use.”

Back at the hearing, Senator Dennis Mendiola, who used to lead the Dept. of Fire and Emergency Medical Services, said he wants clearer rules. 

Sen. Dennis Mendiola said, "Hopefully, we can come up with some regulatory guidelines that…we can all follow and make sure that we are not just getting rid of employees because of the controversy or the confusion of the law…I have constituents and some of them need this for medicinal purposes."

The answer wasn’t smokey for Saipan Sen. Celina Babauta. She said, in Chamorro, "For me, it is not a hard decision…zero tolerance for law enforcement."