Marijuana is about to be legalized and a major increase in recreational consumption is expected. According to a poll conducted by Deloitte, 22% of Canadian adults currently consume recreational marijuana, at least occasionally, and another 17% would consider trying it after it is legal. That is almost 40% of the Canadian population! No wonder employers are concerned.

In addition, use of medical marijuana has significantly increased in the last few years since it has been proven to be a viable alternative to prescription drugs for various medical conditions and symptoms. So, are you as an employer prepared to deal with marijuana in the workplace? Here are three things you need to know.

1. The burden of responsibility lies with the employer and management.

Since Bill 148 (Fair Workplace Better Jobs Act) became law in January, 2018, the responsibility lies with the employer to accommodate employees, whether regarding use of medical marijuana during work hours or changing a work schedule due to a health issue. Employers are expected to provide a safe environment for all employees and open an investigation if a complaint is filed by an employee.

2. It is better to deal with this matter in a proactive way.

Typical of smaller businesses, many employers delay updating their policies, partly because of the expense of hiring HR consultants and lawyers. However, if an issue arises under the new law the government will likely be called in to investigate at the employer’s expense. This process may be more costly than setting up a proper HR policy in advance.

3. Adding medical marijuana to your group benefits package can potentially save you money.

Recent studies show the positive results of medical marijuana in treating cancer, arthritis, and MS patients. Also, as a result of court-case rulings in favour of employees needing marijuana for medical reasons, marijuana is slowly being added as optional coverage to group benefit plans. The latest announcement came from Sun Life Financial in January; coverage on group benefit plans is limited in dollar amounts (up to $6,000 per year) for specific conditions and symptoms. This is a step in the right direction.

Many were concerned that adding medical marijuana coverage would increase the cost to health plans. However, studies have found that it is actually replacing usage of similar or higher-cost prescription drugs, which means health claims could be the same or even lower. Also, consider that employees who find relief of their symptoms with medical marijuana take fewer sick days and perform better than they were previously. This reduces absenteesim and presenteesim costs to employers.

The bottom line?

Being proactive will help employers, protect everyone on your team, and ultimately be the less expensive way of dealing with this controversial and contentious issue.

[Aviva Abraham had a longer article about this subject in the August 2018 issue of HR Professional Magazine]