training & development
Just Because
It’s Legal Doesn’t Mean
It’s Acceptable
IMPLEMENTING A CANNABIS STRATEGY IN THE WORKPLACE
On October 17, 2018, Canada legalized recreational cannabis.
Canadians in Ontario are now able to purchase recreational
cannabis online through government-run websites.
Many questions surround the legalization, particu-larly
around the preparedness of employees for legal recreational
cannabis use. In an article for HR Professional earlier this year, I
discussed the anticipated impact of cannabis legalization in the
workplace and how employees could best prepare for and commu-nicate
policy changes. Now that recreational cannabis is legal, it’s
important to reassess the situation and determine how employ-ers
can prepare employees to navigate its impact in the workplace.
In research conducted in July 2018, Morneau Shepell found
that the majority of employers (52 per cent) reported that they
planned to update substance abuse policies to manage cannabis
in the workplace at some point over the next 12 to 18 months.
As a result, many organizations are likely still in the process of
updating policies and communicating to employees. Yet whether
organizations have updated workplace policies to address canna-bis
legalization or not, employers have a responsibility to address
cannabis use within their organization.
AS A RESULT, MANY
ORGANIZATIONS
ARE LIKELY STILL
IN THE PROCESS OF
UPDATING POLICIES
AND COMMUNICATING
TO EMPLOYEES.
By Paula Allen
Katsiaryna Chumakova/123rf.com
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ DECEMBER 2018 ❚ 21
/123rf.com
/HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA
