Recreational Marijuana: Effect In the Workplace

With more and more states legalizing cannabis, even whole countries too, and a federal relaxing of laws predictable for the future, the practicalities of a stoned populace are now coming into play. From driving “high” to get a firearm license, regulators are tightening on the noose on this newly legal plant in quite a few not-so-subtle ways. However, there is some cause for concern, specifically in the workplace.

Unless an entire workforce is all smoking energetic Sativas that get the job done, it more likely employers face a list of serious problems when their employees get high at work. Productivity is a major problem, and if you are a true stoner, you know there is no denying this. There is also safety worries, like operating heavy machinery impaired, even opening a filing cabinet. These are all notable concerns.

Furthermore, testing a workforce for company drug policy has its own disadvantages. Determining stoniness is difficult at best. Then, what should be the consequences of using a legal plant at work? Who will decide such fate? If you scrutinize the Antioch recreational weed laws, for example, or even the state, even other legal states, it is possible to prevent issues that may arise from weed on the job.

What the Statistics Say

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, in states that have liberal marijuana laws, whether medicinal or recreational, companies have a 94 percent rate of written policies against substance abuse. Although this was true before legalization occurred, at least 29 percent admit modifying their policies afterward. There are other factors to consider too:

Workplace Productivity

There are notable consequences of having an unproductive workforce. Naturally, employers worry about how legalized marijuana will affect the work of employees. Will they still produce quality? Will it affect business operations, and if so, how? For workers, inferior work performance is dangerous. It can get you fired, regardless of whether you are drunk, “high,” or just extremely tired.

Not only is the risk of performing badly higher with marijuana in the picture, but there are other worries too. For example, using marijuana might affect not only the type of labor employees can do, but also whether they come to work in the first place. Lack of attendance is a real threat to business productivity, so it is not surprising that companies are writing policies that ban their use at the workplace.

Workplace Safety

There is also the worry of a stoned employee causing or being involved somehow in a work-related accident. Although employees have a right to privacy, employers also have the right to protect and regulate their workplace. Those workers using pot before or after hours also pose the question of whether their use might still contribute to workplace accidents. If found yes, you will lose your job.

Despite technology being very lax about determining marijuana levels with any accuracy, employers can still terminate employee contracts if they find them using weed. You could be unemployed just for having some in your bloodstream, not for actually being “high” at the time. Companies are well within their rights to main a completely drug-free work environment.

Mimicking Alcohol Regulations

In states that have legalized recreational marijuana, employers are mostly choosing to treat its use the same way they treat alcohol. Employees cannot possess it, pass it around, or consume it at work, and they cannot arrive at work stoned either. Despite the simplicity of this concept, companies have been struggling to identify “high” workers upon arrival and regulating their policies effectively.

However, employees get the worst end of the stick in this. Although alcohol impairment comes with standard regulations, none yet exists for cannabis impairment. It is almost impossible to tell when a person is “high,” only that he or she used in the last several days. Because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, though, employers are using federal legislation to keep their workforce sober.

The biggest issue really is science. There is no current way to test for cannabis impairment reliably like there is for alcohol, so there is nothing scientifically available for employers to use. Furthermore, most states are still squabbling about what actually defines “impairment,” let alone what the legal stoned limit should be, or what an acceptable level of impairment would be, or even how to test any of it.

Workplace Drug Testing

Before you type “recreational dispensary near me” into your search bar, there are some facts to consider. Although most companies do not bother testing applicants for cannabis, they might for a federally regulated position, or even just a sensitive one. Pre-employment drug tests are likely to increase with legalization, and random testing will just become more and more common.

However, this can cause legal ramifications for companies who choose to discriminate on marijuana use. If denied the job, applicants might well start challenging the decisions of employers for violating their right to privacy. Laws are in place protecting employee’s choices outside of the workplace, but because cannabis is still illegal federally, employees do not have legal room to support a failed drug test.

Options for Companies

Experts believe that businesses should educate both their workers and management on the effects that cannabis and other substances might have on body and mind. Folks must know how it will affect their abilities, and that there is such a thing as too much marijuana. Cannabinoids stay in the blood for a long time, several days. People must know this, as well as all the dangers of working “high.”

As regulations evolve and continuously change, employers can adapt in several ways, both locally and nationally. Companies should revise their policies, train their managers and supervisors, and learn how to identify when someone is stoned or not. They must educate employees, notify them of drug policy changes, stay vigilant, comply with California law, and enforce policies consistently.

Antioch Recreational Weed

Companies should take measures to obtain sound legal advice. This will help avoid potential time-consuming, costly litigation later. For employees, although weed is legal now, discretion and common sense remain important as ever before, perhaps more so. When you type “recreational dispensary near me” into Google, just remember there is still work to attend tomorrow, and preferably sober.