Donald Teuma-Castelletti
CLARENDON Oct. 25, 2018
Business owners and employers from all around the Pontiac took the opportunity to further their understanding of cannabis, it’s legalization and more last Thursday, while attending an information session at the Little Red Wagon Winery.
Around 30 people attended the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce event, where Tyler Pirie, an expert on substance use, broke down what the recent change of law could mean for their business.
“This presentation in particular is going to be focused on what business owners in the Pontiac region need to know, as employers, as business owners, and possibly, as employees, but more generally, as citizens,” said Pirie, ahead of the presentation. “A lot of people are interested in this, and in my opinion, there’s been a lot of media attention around it but not really a straight path guiding anybody to saying, this is a fact, this is a fact, this is a fact, here’s what you should do.”

The presentation focused on a number of concerns regarding cannabis use and legalization, breaking down federal and provincial laws as they currently stand, and dispelling misconceptions. As well, Pirie highlighted steps employers can take to protect their business practices, ensuring they remain safe for all employees while reliable to customers.
In terms of safety, Pirie said it is important to develop strict policies that are communicated and understood by all employees. This means more than printing off a standard policy template found online, he explained, and depends more on building one based off the actual line of work.
Also, Pirie noted, an employer’s responsibility to accommodate plays into this safety issue. Employees may require specialized treatment in relation to substance use, especially in safety-sensitive areas, or services to help with potential issues that come with legalization.
“Apart from that, there’s little things that people are going to need to look into, such as how is it going to impact me financially?” said Pirie. “Is there going to be an impact on absenteeism and productivity?”
He also detailed the opportunity for issues with presenteeism to arise, as in, employees are physically present but not working to their true potential.
Outside of work, it is also interesting to consider how social functions should be organized by employers.
“Alcohol is dangerous, and cannabis can be dangerous as well,” said Pirie. “Both are dangerous if they’re used irresponsibly. ‘If one, why not the other?’ is what some employees might ask.”
These kind of considerations have to be extended to different work environments and arrangements, too.
“Another thing that employers should be thinking about as well, many employers now offer flexible work arrangements, and work from home opportunities,” said Pirie. “You’re not able to supervise those employees, so how can you ensure that they’re actually not impaired while they’re on the clock, so to speak? I don’t know if any are thinking about that, it really depends on the employer and what their business is, essentially.”
Finally, he also touched briefly on mental health, explaining the potential for marijuana to exacerbate a pre-existing condition. Worsening reliance on the drug for help with such issues will require a need for further accommodations, he explained.
Pirie spoke to the group on behalf of no organization, though his experience with studying substance use is vast. He has a Master’s of science in epidemiology and biostatistics, and has worked with the Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use to help first detect the emergence of fentanyl in the country.
The presentation is a part of the Chamber’s attempts to offer members more services to educate and inform them. More talks will be organized on a variety of topics in the near future.
“One of the difficult things that employers are going to have to figure out is how they’re going to identify impairment and how they’re going to handle impairment,” said Pirie. “I think if they’re able to create a policy that addresses that, it’s pretty easy here on out.”