The Vancouver Island Construction Conference on April 27th will have a session on Marijuana in the Workplace, which is proving to be one of the most popular. The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) has pulled together a panel that will look at the issue from a medical, legal, and safety perspective.

Marijuana legalization is coming, and so is the effect on workplaces. But are workplaces ready to deal with marijuana in the workplace? With only a few months to go before the new legislation comes into effect, employers are left with many unanswered questions.

“With legalization on the horizon, our members are looking for advice on how to be prepared to deal with any issues arising from the legislation,” states Rory Kulmala, CEO of VICA.

Employers have many questions, including how to test for impairment, how to deal with second-hand smoke, and how to handle possible false-positive tests. Due to the nature of the work, the construction industry is particularly anxious to ensure safety on their jobsites.

“Marijuana is a psychoactive drug with effects that are not fully understood,” states Dr. Richard Stanwick, Chief Medical Officer for Island Health, one of the panelists, “particularly when looking at the consequences of chronic, intermittent, or binge usage.”

The panel also includes N. Nima Rohani, an associate with McConnan Bion O’Connor and Peterson, and Tom Brocklehurst, director of Prevention Practices and Quality at WorkSafeBC.

More information on the conference and the panelists can be found at www.vicaconference.ca.