Cannabis in the Workplace: Why many employees regularly use marijuana at work
With the trending legalization of cannabis in states throughout the U.S., the public perception of marijuana’s safety has increased, as more consumers have experienced for themselves the actual effects of using cannabis.
Whether it is therapeutically or recreationally, a quarter of American workers are now using cannabis before and during work. What does this mean for business in our country? Is cannabis use in the workplace safe?
The Rise in Workplace Cannabis Use
Marijuana use in the workplace has long been a concern for many business owners, prompting some companies to adopt workplace drug screens to discourage marijuana use and to identify and remove offenders.
However, these drug screens have done little to dissuade workers from using cannabis at work, especially since the start of legal recreational cannabis in select markets. Overall, the use of marijuana in the workplace has increased 60 percent since 2014, and it is likely to continue to rise as more states legalize cannabis for recreational use.
In a recent survey of cannabis consumers by Quinn Thomas, 25 percent of those who responded had used marijuana before work. The same percentage admitted to using marijuana at their workplace.
Another survey, performed by Remedy Review, “High at Work: Exploring the Relationship Between Marijuana and the Workplace”, took the data a step further, exploring the jobs that used cannabis the most at work and why.
The three top profession categories using cannabis at work are the food and hospitality industries with 35 percent of workers admitting to being high on the job. Number two is construction workers at 32.5 percent. The creative heavy arts and entertainment industries landed in the third spot.
While there were a range of reasons given, the two biggest reasons listed in the survey for using cannabis at work are to increase productivity and to ease boredom.
However, when compared to the data from the Quinn Thomas study, the Remedy Review survey also found a lower overall incidence of employees using marijuana before or during work at 16 percent.
Why I Use Cannabis When Working
Working as I do as a freelancer in a creative field like content creation, using cannabis while on the job is of minimal concern for me. The heaviest thing I lift each day at work is my coffee cup; the most complex piece of machinery I use is my computer.
In fact, I would say that my reasons for using marijuana while working would be the same as those listed by participants in the Remedy Review survey. I primarily use cannabis products to increase my focus and enhance my creativity, perfect for sitting down to draft an article, working with my team to brainstorm a new brand identity, or getting out to shoot products with my camera.
I also use marijuana to relieve boredom. Even writing for the cannabis industry can have its tedious moments, and tasks like research and editing are helped along thanks to a few puffs from my vape pen or a well-timed edible.
I’ve also not been shy in the past about using cannabis in the office. Whether visiting freelance clients for meetings or working a traditional 9–5, using cannabis makes me more friendly and outgoing, less stressed and uptight, and more creative at brainstorming sessions.
Drugs Tests at Work
With cannabis legalization creeping across the country, knowing how to address the use of marijuana before and at work has become a priority for employers.
About a dozen states have legalized marijuana use recreationally, meaning employees can legally purchase and use cannabis products in their free time. Like with alcohol, employees don’t expect that its use after work and on weekends should impact their employment. However, drug tests can detect cannabis use for days and even weeks afterwards, meaning that employees can potentially be disciplined or even fired for using cannabis on their time off.
Things get even trickier in the 34 medical marijuana states, where patients legally use marijuana for symptoms tied to conditions like chronic pain, epilepsy, anxiety, and more.
While you may think that denying workers the ability to use their medication would be found unlawful, courts have been more likely to side with employers due to the federal status of cannabis remaining illegal.
However, there have been notable exceptions to this. In two high profile cases — Chance v. Kraft Heinz Foods Co. and Whitmire v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. — the court sided with medical marijuana patients who were fired for failing drug screens at work. In both these cases, these states (Delaware and Arizona, respectively) had language in their medical marijuana laws prohibiting discrimination for medical marijuana patients.
Overall, fewer companies are choosing mandatory drug testing of all employees, and many are instead selectively testing certain positions in which intoxication is perceived as a risk.
If you live in a legal cannabis state or are a medical marijuana patient, be sure you read and understand your state’s laws and your employer’s policies regarding the use of cannabis in the workplace.