Employers want to know how to handle marijuana
About 60 people attended a seminar Thursday intended to help area employers understand how to handle medical marijuana in the workplace.
The seminar was held by the Butler Health System and the Butler County Chamber of Commerce. The hospital group's coordinator of occupational health, Cindy Hinchberger, organized the event after receiving several questions from business owners.
“I've had employers asking me about what they should do with medical marijuana,” Hinchberger said.
She brought together two speakers.
Ryan West, of Pittsburgh's Greenbriar Treatment Center, gave an overview of how medical marijuana differs from recreational marijuana, how Pennsylvania marijuana laws work, and how drug tests ought to be used. He noted that Greenbriar is abstinence-based, and that his own opinions might reflect that. He is not a doctor.
“No doubt, there is a movement sweeping the nation in support of legalizing marijuana, not just for medical use, but for recreational use,” West said.
West argued that the introduction of cannabis to mainstream society still requires some research and regulation. Common drug tests, for instance, look for inactive signs of marijuana that stay in a person's system for some time, rather than active molecules that indicate very recent use.
That particular point helped to segue to a question that business owners brought to the event: What can be done to keep employees from working while high?
The second speaker, attorney Philip Kontul, addressed that directly.
Employers are allowed to bar use of marijuana, medical or not, at the workplace, he said. They can also ban cannabis itself from being brought to work.
It gets less clear when it comes to general use of cannabis. Working while impaired, particularly among employees in roles with obvious safety concerns such as drivers or fork lift operators, can be cracked down upon.
“There's a lack of clarity as to what it means to be under the influence,” Kontul said.
Pennsylvania's law includes anti-discrimination provisions that prevent employers from firing or punishing an employee just for having a medical marijuana card or testing positive for marijuana on a drug test if they have a card.
If an employer believes an employee is impaired at work, the HR department can be the best tool, Kontul said.
Both men talked about the various ailments that can qualify Pennsylvanians for medical marijuana. Of the 23 approved conditions, they said they mostly hear about anxiety disorders and PTSD generating cards.
West said the products sold in medical dispensaries don't always match the level of need for patients, even when medical marijuana might be a good fit. Card holders can sign a waiver to not get a consultation during their first visit, he said, and simply buy what they prefer without guidance.
That can lead to people with anxiety disorders overloading their anxiety with cannabis, he said.
