Businesses Learning About “Marijuana in Workplace”
As the legalization of marijuana gets closer, one local business is looking to inform others about “marijuana in the workplace.”
On Thursday, Kristi Pinkney Hines, Founder and Director Hines Health Services, talked to different businesses at the Chamber of Commerce’s Luncheon. The presentation highlighted medical marijuana and recreational use.
Hines tells Mix News the most important thing a business owner can do to prepare for legalization is update or create a drug and alcohol policy.
“They need to ensure the policy addresses workplace impairment from prescription, over the counter to illegal and legal drugs. They need to have that policy effectively implemented and provide training to their employees, additionally they need to make sure that employees are aware of the consequences for failing to comply.”
Hines notes each individual employer is being given the task of setting up their own guidelines for marijuana until the Federal government sets out their own specific outline.
She adds supervisors will have a lot of added responsibility.
“If you’re acting as a supervisor for an employer, and you feel someone is impaired, you have a responsibility to make sure they do something about it, that they report that concern to someone.”
Meanwhile, Hines notes it’s very important each employer, supervisor, and employee knows the signs of impairment. This includes red eyes, dry mouth, mood shifts, anxiety panic, hallucinations, withdrawal, slurred speech, and much more.
She says another important sign to look out for is smell.
“Catching a whiff of the scent on a persons clothes or hair could be a sign that marijuana has recently been used and impairment should be considered.”
The Federal Government has said legalization is expected by July 2018.