After the 95-year prohibition on recreational cannabis was lifted in Canada on Oct. 17, some workplaces have created policies on when employees can and canB次元官网网址檛 light up.
Post-legalization wonB次元官网网址檛 be the first time cannabis use has been a problem in B.C.B次元官网网址檚 workforce, but Tom Brocklehurst, WorkSafeBCB次元官网网址檚 director of prevention practices and quality, said they are expecting an increase in on-the-job impairment.
B次元官网网址淐annabis has been part of the landscape in British Columbia for a while, and prior to legalization thereB次元官网网址檚 been a fairly substantial increase in people who use cannabis regularly in the past decade or so,B次元官网网址� Brocklehurst said.
The Central Saanich Police, one of the few police departments to create a cannabis policy for staff, said officers can use cannabis, as long as itB次元官网网址檚 more than 24 hours before a shift.
says the effects of cannabis can last at least six hours, and impair the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery.
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B次元官网网址淭he key for us is weB次元官网网址檙e not expecting employers to find a clinical level of impairment,B次元官网网址� Brocklehurst said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e expecting employers to evaluate whether their employees are capable of performing their tasks safely. ThatB次元官网网址檒l depend on the nature of the task and the nature of the worker,B次元官网网址� Brocklehurst said.
WorkSafeBC doesnB次元官网网址檛 require drug testing, but suggests keeping an eye out for B次元官网网址� delayed reaction time, mood swings or personality changes and impaired judgement B次元官网网址� and if suspicion arises to do a motor skills test similar to a sobriety test police perform.
B次元官网网址淭here are limitations with cannabis in terms of how you can actually verify someoneB次元官网网址檚 impaired at the time you take the test because it doesnB次元官网网址檛 work like alcohol, it metabolizes differently,B次元官网网址� he said, adding that workplaces have to be careful not to discriminate against anyone with addictions or who use medically-prescribed drugs that could impair them.
B次元官网网址淭his is a good time to have employers and workers focus on this better and have them think about impairment in the workplace.B次元官网网址�
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@KeiliBartlett
keili.bartlett@blackpress.ca
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