Wednesday Oct 23, 2024

Ep. 40 - Cannabis Legalization: What Employers Need To Know (Part 1)

Cannabis legalization will have a profound impact across all levels of society. One of the most significant effects of cannabis legalization relates to employment. Employers have a financial interest in ensuring that employees are not intoxicated on the job and will not create a safety hazard related to impairment risks. On the other hand employers must also adhere to strict privacy and ADA guidelines which may conflict with federal requirements associated with a drug free workplace.

In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we review the concerns related to cannabis legalization in the workplace in which employers must be aware of the rapidly changing laws and regulations in order to help them develop legally defensive workplace policies that also legally balance the health needs of their employees who use cannabis. 

 

EPISODE RESOURCE

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Carnide, N., Lee, H., Frone, M.R., Furlan, A.D., & Smith, P.M. (2021). Patterns and correlates of workplace and non-workplace cannabis use among Canadian workers before the legalization of non-medical cannabis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 218, 108386. https://oem.bmj.com/content/oemed/79/12/824.full.pdf 

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Perlman, A.I., McLeod, H.M., Ventresca, E.C., Salinas, M.G., Post, P.J., & Schuh, M.J. (2021, October). Medical cannabis state and federal regulations: Implications for United States health care entities. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(10), 2671-2681. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(21)00399-2/fulltext 

Soltys, J., & Dylan, D.W. (2020). Accommodating the unknown: Balancing employee human rights with the employer duty to ensure safety: A dialogue on Stewart v Elk Valley and the Cannabis Act. Canadian Journal of Human Rights, 57. https://cjhr.ca/articles/vol-9-no-1-2020/accommodating-the-unknown-balancing-employee-human-rights-with-the-employer-duty-to-ensure-safety-a-dialogue-on-stewart-v-elk-valley-and-the-cannabis-act/ 

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Worthy, S.L., & Kulkarni, S.R. (2021). Dazed and confused: Making sense of employers' risks from mandated coverage of non-FDA-approved cannabis products. Seton Hall Legislative Journal, 45, 379. https://scholarship.shu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1187&context=shlj 

 

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