Managing Marijuana & Other Substance Use and Abuse at Work

All employers want a healthy and safe workplace. Safety at work can be negatively impacted by many factors, not the least of which is substance abuse. While 10% of the population self-identifies as having an active addiction, the reality of use is much higher and presents a real and present concern in the workplace. Drug and alcohol abuse in the workplace leads to injuries, decreased morale and lost time, to name a few. Employers’ costs related to human resources and health and medical benefits increase substantially, and the negative effect on employees impacts productivity and profitability in countless ways. With the availability of medically authorized cannabis for medical purposes and with legalization of marijuana legislation just around the corner, Human Resource Professionals are being asked to ensure proper policies and programs are in place to address workplace health and safety concerns – for all employees. Senior Leadership as well as employees will be looking to HR to guide them when substance use/abuse issues arise. What we do and how we do it will set precedent and needs to be established using logical processes reflective of best practices.