Cannabis in the workplace
Published by: LifeWorks,
Risks and repercussions of cannabis legalization
In December, after months of legal back and forth, Michigan became the tenth state to legalize cannabis. Your organization may already have policies relating to medical marijuana. But “legal” is not the same as “acceptable at work” and many organizations will need to address cannabis-related employee health and safety issues. It is the illegal drug most commonly used and abused by US employees, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD).
Although the state of Michigan has legalized access to cannabis and implemented regulations to control production, sale, and distribution, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Cannabis will be regulated like alcohol
- Anyone over 21 can have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana
- There will be a 10% excise tax on all marijuana sales
- People previously arrested for marijuana possession will not be pardoned
- Marijuana remains illegal under federal law in the U.S.Policies and considerationsWhatever the local legal status of recreational marijuana, workplace policies should state clearly that employees may not be high or impaired at work. Just as with alcohol, being under the influence at work is never OK and zero tolerance remains the best policy.