Impact Of Recreational Cannabis Usage In The Workplace
What employees need to know
Posted on 01-30-2019, Read Time: Min
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What impact does recreational cannabis use have on an employee’s mental state in the workplace? Is consumption outside of the workplace acceptable? These are two of the many questions that Canadian employers have been faced with answering since recreational cannabis was legalized in October.
While the decision to consume recreational cannabis is ultimately up to the individual, there is a need for employers to educate employees on the effects of cannabis and the resulting impact to their performance at work. Without prioritizing awareness, employers risk their employees being unequipped to make informed decisions outside of the office, possibly leading to a drop in productivity at work and maybe even harm to themselves or others.
While the decision to consume recreational cannabis is ultimately up to the individual, there is a need for employers to educate employees on the effects of cannabis and the resulting impact to their performance at work. Without prioritizing awareness, employers risk their employees being unequipped to make informed decisions outside of the office, possibly leading to a drop in productivity at work and maybe even harm to themselves or others.
What Do Employers and Employees Need to Know About Cannabis
The legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada has launched a conversation in the workplace about its consumption. Employers are now facing the challenge of providing proper education and training for their staff because without it, employees using recreational cannabis risk being in violation of their organization’s substance abuse policies of which they may not be aware.
Rather than taking a “wait-and-see” approach, employers need to make a proactive effort to educate and train team members on the differences between medicinal and recreational cannabis and policy related to each. Employees need to be informed not only about the organizational policies, but also the resources that are available in terms of health benefits for medical cannabis, and services to help deal will problem use.
Rather than taking a “wait-and-see” approach, employers need to make a proactive effort to educate and train team members on the differences between medicinal and recreational cannabis and policy related to each. Employees need to be informed not only about the organizational policies, but also the resources that are available in terms of health benefits for medical cannabis, and services to help deal will problem use.
Defining Medicinal and Recreational Cannabis
A key part of any employers’ approach to education should focus on understanding the differences between medicinal and recreational cannabis – the main difference being the chemical composition of each type of cannabis and the effects those chemicals have on users.
Medicinal cannabis has a higher concentration of cannabidiol (CBD) – the active ingredient in cannabis-derived from the hemp plant – and very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis1. Studies show that medicinal cannabis users can expect to experience therapeutic effects including the reduction of anxiety, pain, and nausea, or help for insomnia and mood-related issues, without becoming intoxicated. In contrast, recreational cannabis contains higher levels of THC and low levels of CBD, giving users a sense of euphoria and the “high” that some individuals seek2.
Medicinal cannabis has a higher concentration of cannabidiol (CBD) – the active ingredient in cannabis-derived from the hemp plant – and very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis1. Studies show that medicinal cannabis users can expect to experience therapeutic effects including the reduction of anxiety, pain, and nausea, or help for insomnia and mood-related issues, without becoming intoxicated. In contrast, recreational cannabis contains higher levels of THC and low levels of CBD, giving users a sense of euphoria and the “high” that some individuals seek2.
The Side Effects
Since becoming legal, there have been misconceptions about the effect of cannabis on the body, with the misunderstanding that it impacts all individuals in the same way. In reality, reactions can vary from minor to extreme as everyone has different body chemistries and the type of strain being consumed will vary in THC and CBD levels.
For some, recreational cannabis with high THC levels can have an adverse reaction to the therapeutic effects that individuals using medicinal cannabis may seek. Side effects can include sleepiness, nausea, anxiety, panic and fear, and for a very small portion of the population, psychotic episodes. This can be exacerbated further for those under the age of 25, as their developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to lasting damage from the drug3. This rarely occurs with high levels of CBD (medicinal cannabis), which has been found to dampen anxiety and increase appetite – a reason it’s commonly recommended to cancer and Chron’s patients.
Beyond the impact itself, employers need to understand the length of impairment for cannabis use. According to the government of Canada4, the length of intoxication varies based on the way cannabis is consumed. Smoking or vaporizing can last up to six hours, while ingesting it – either through food or capsules or putting it under your tongue – can last up to 12 hours. Again, all of these reaction times can vary depending on the person, with some individuals who are hypersensitive to the substance experiencing the effects of cannabis for up to 24 hours.
These are interesting findings that employers should use as a baseline to define what constitutes likely impairment and to provide employees with a guideline for acceptable use outside of the workplace. This will be particularly important for industries that are highly safety-sensitive – such as healthcare providers and police officers – that have more restrictive policies. Defining impairment will help employers develop policies and define how they educate and train employees.
For some, recreational cannabis with high THC levels can have an adverse reaction to the therapeutic effects that individuals using medicinal cannabis may seek. Side effects can include sleepiness, nausea, anxiety, panic and fear, and for a very small portion of the population, psychotic episodes. This can be exacerbated further for those under the age of 25, as their developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to lasting damage from the drug3. This rarely occurs with high levels of CBD (medicinal cannabis), which has been found to dampen anxiety and increase appetite – a reason it’s commonly recommended to cancer and Chron’s patients.
Beyond the impact itself, employers need to understand the length of impairment for cannabis use. According to the government of Canada4, the length of intoxication varies based on the way cannabis is consumed. Smoking or vaporizing can last up to six hours, while ingesting it – either through food or capsules or putting it under your tongue – can last up to 12 hours. Again, all of these reaction times can vary depending on the person, with some individuals who are hypersensitive to the substance experiencing the effects of cannabis for up to 24 hours.
These are interesting findings that employers should use as a baseline to define what constitutes likely impairment and to provide employees with a guideline for acceptable use outside of the workplace. This will be particularly important for industries that are highly safety-sensitive – such as healthcare providers and police officers – that have more restrictive policies. Defining impairment will help employers develop policies and define how they educate and train employees.
How Employers Can Play Their Part
Developing a policy to address recreational cannabis use is a critical piece of awareness and education. If employers haven’t already, now is the time to be implementing these policies and looking for ways to effectively communicate them to employees.
What has proven to be successful for most employers is explaining the rationale behind new or updated policies – to shed light on the thought that went into the policy, why it’s needed and how it will directly affect employees. For cannabis specifically, employers can describe the differences between medicinal and recreational cannabis, the impact both have on the body, what defines impairment and how those effects can impact their performance at work. Keeping an open dialogue with employees throughout this process will also be critical; if employees understand the rationale and have an outlet to express concerns and ask questions, they will be more likely to stay engaged and adapt to change.
Employers also need to realize that education should be fluid. Regulations will continue to evolve, so employers will need to stay up-to-date on and continue communicating with employees. Employers can hire consultants to track new iterations of the law on an ongoing basis, or they can take on the responsibility in-house by speaking to peers that specialize in health and wellness or by regularly checking resources online. Resources for employees are also critical, with digital channels emerging as the best medium to communicate with employees, providing access to information outside of the office and allowing employees to visit as many times as they would like.
What has proven to be successful for most employers is explaining the rationale behind new or updated policies – to shed light on the thought that went into the policy, why it’s needed and how it will directly affect employees. For cannabis specifically, employers can describe the differences between medicinal and recreational cannabis, the impact both have on the body, what defines impairment and how those effects can impact their performance at work. Keeping an open dialogue with employees throughout this process will also be critical; if employees understand the rationale and have an outlet to express concerns and ask questions, they will be more likely to stay engaged and adapt to change.
Employers also need to realize that education should be fluid. Regulations will continue to evolve, so employers will need to stay up-to-date on and continue communicating with employees. Employers can hire consultants to track new iterations of the law on an ongoing basis, or they can take on the responsibility in-house by speaking to peers that specialize in health and wellness or by regularly checking resources online. Resources for employees are also critical, with digital channels emerging as the best medium to communicate with employees, providing access to information outside of the office and allowing employees to visit as many times as they would like.
Employee Best Practices
Despite the need for policies and training on the use of cannabis in the workplace, many employers have taken a more reactive approach to policy development in response to the legalization of recreational cannabis. In our recent report The legalization of cannabis: Impact for the workplace5, we found that as of July of 2018, only 34 percent of Canadian employers had an updated substance abuse policy in place to manage cannabis in the workplace, while 52 percent were planning on updating their policies in the next 12 to 18 months. This reactive approach is ultimately leaving employees with unanswered questions.
Should employees find themselves interested in consuming cannabis and wondering what quantity or timing is acceptable, they need to know what questions they should be asking to ensure they aren’t unknowingly breaking any company policies. What is my company policy? How much cannabis use is acceptable? What does my company consider unacceptable? At the very minimum, employers should be providing employees with the answers to these questions. Employees may be reluctant to ask questions about a controversial topic, so it’s critical that employers provide comprehensive information that will address their concerns.
Possibly the most important message that employers can relay to their employees is that just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it is acceptable in the workplace. Alcohol has been legal for years, but it is the responsibility of the workplace to ensure that employees are doing their jobs to the best of their ability and not compromising the safety of themselves or others. Determining workplace policies and properly educating employees on the effects of cannabis will create better governance within the organization and equip employees to make informed choices in and outside of the workplace.
Should employees find themselves interested in consuming cannabis and wondering what quantity or timing is acceptable, they need to know what questions they should be asking to ensure they aren’t unknowingly breaking any company policies. What is my company policy? How much cannabis use is acceptable? What does my company consider unacceptable? At the very minimum, employers should be providing employees with the answers to these questions. Employees may be reluctant to ask questions about a controversial topic, so it’s critical that employers provide comprehensive information that will address their concerns.
Possibly the most important message that employers can relay to their employees is that just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it is acceptable in the workplace. Alcohol has been legal for years, but it is the responsibility of the workplace to ensure that employees are doing their jobs to the best of their ability and not compromising the safety of themselves or others. Determining workplace policies and properly educating employees on the effects of cannabis will create better governance within the organization and equip employees to make informed choices in and outside of the workplace.
Footnotes
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-vs-thc
2. https://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/study.php
3. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/11/marijuana-brain.aspx
4.https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/documents/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/laws-regulations/regulations-support-cannabis-act/consumer-information/consumer-information.pdf
5. https://www.morneaushepell.com/ca-en/insights/legalization-cannabis-impact-workplace
Author Bio
| Paula Allen is Vice President of Research and Integrative Solutions for Morneau Shepell, focusing on enterprise-wide solutions that leverage the integrated value of the firm’s expertise, solutions and data analytics. Paula manages Morneau Shepell’s research agenda, which focuses on evidence-based best practices, trend and risk analysis, and scalable solution design. Paula also consults directly with clients to ensure that their specific needs are met with respect to both their current and emerging needs. Visit www.morneaushepell.com Connect Paula Allen Follow @Morneau_Shepell |
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