Navigating marijuana legalization in the workplace
In the February 2018 issue of Business Voice magazine, partner Brian Johnston, QC, was interviewed by Jon Tattrie for his article, Going green: the business of cannabis in a complex system of legalities (page 16).
Brian identifies two major issues within this piece surrounding the drug: the continuation of medical marijuana use and the July 1 regulation of recreational marijuana. He notes that 100,000 Canadians are currently authorized to use medical marijuana, but that number could more than quadruple over the next decade, which means employers should be prepared with appropriate policies that address use in the workplace, especially in safety-sensitive areas that may involve operating heavy machinery. Brian states that it’s best to work off a policy that’s already in place: “I don’t advocate starting over because if you have a policy, it’s always better to try to improve it and adjust it to future circumstances … but policies will have to be adjusted.”