Concerns raised over marijuana in the workplace

“We were disappointed that there wasn’t more emphasis on the safety implications for workers,” he said.

Current drug testing technology cannot determine whether someone is impaired by marijuana at the time the test is done.

Oral swabs and urine tests can only determine whether an individual has recently smoked or ingested cannabis, but not if it’s causing an impairment.

“If we know that marijuana impairs an individual but we can’t yet determine the direct relationship between testing and impairment, we should prohibit marijuana in the workplace,” said MacGillivray.

MacGillivray said it’s critical that employees are able to make good decisions, operate equipment and respond quickly in changing circumstances.

“In some significant operations you can have a failure to be able to deal with a situation which could result in a catastrophic failure,” he said. “It could be a pipeline leak, it could be an explosion at a facility and this would impact many workers and potentially the community that is involved in these operations.

MacGillivray believes workplace safety is an issue the government needs to address before pot becomes legalized because it may encourage more people to use the drug.

“We’re anticipating there could be an uptick in the number of people who use marijuana in the workplace,” he said. “Some people may think it’s legal therefore it’s safe, that is simply not true.”

Some energy leaders in the province already have rules in place to address the use of drugs and alcohol.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding the use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace. That won’t change even with the new legislation, should it be enacted,” read a statement from a spokesperson for Cenovus Energy.

We have reached out to the federal ministry of employment, workforce development and labour for comment.

by Leah Murray @CHATTV_LMurray - Medicine Hat

Concerns raised over marijuana in the workplace

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