Seattle police eases pot rules for applicants

SEATTLE – The Seattle Police Department is loosening rules on past marijuana use by job applicants, officials announced Tuesday.

Until this week, applicants were immediately disqualified if they had smoked marijuana within three years of applying for a position. The new rule reduces that to a year, the department announced through its blog.

“In light of the changing cultural and political landscape, the three-year rule does not make sense,” Assistant Chief Dick Reed said on the SPD Blotter. “We’re trying to find a middle ground that doesn’t exclude viable candidates.”

Assistant Chief Jim Pugel said the department will also re-evaluate other marijuana-related hiring policies.

Reed said that even with the old policy, applicants weren’t often disqualified for past marijuana use.