Legislated Drug Testing In The Workplace

No Place in Bill C-45 for Workplace Drug Testing – For Now

With the impending legalization of cannabis later this year, there has been growing concern from many employers regarding the potential implications of recreational drug use and impairment in the workplace. As Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act) has weaved its way through the House and Senate in its various forms and iterations, employers are anxiously awaiting the federal government's decision regarding the recommendations of various employer groups to permit limited mandatory workplace drug testing in connection with its cannabis legislation.

For now, it appears that any amendments to Bill C-45 to address workplace drug testing will not be forthcoming. The federal  government has, however, recently signalled that the door is not closed on revisiting the legislation and imposing mandatory drug testing for certain safety-sensitive jobs in the future.