The big day has arrived. On October 17, 2018, the federal Cannabis Act came into force, legalizing
cannabis and related products for recreational use.
Since the federal government announced legalization, the
practical impact of legal cannabis on employers has been unclear,
causing a good deal of angst and uncertainty. We have previously
discussed how employers should revise their drug and alcohol
policies to prepare for legalization in a
previous post.
Some of the uncertainty for employers is caused by the fact that
the long-term effects of consuming cannabis are not well understood
and there is currently no objective method of confirming current
impairment. A lingering question remains as to whether occasional
or chronic use of cannabis might cause long-term deleterious
effects on a worker's cognitive and physical abilities even
days, weeks, or months after consumption. The concern is
particularly acute for safety-sensitive workplaces that cannot risk
permitting
