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Training aims to help employers, employees handle workplace marijuana use

Staff //September 16, 2019//

Training aims to help employers, employees handle workplace marijuana use

Staff //September 16, 2019//

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Employees who abuse drugs can cost a business an average of $7,000 a year, the National Safety Council reported, and that figure does not include liability costs.

A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse found employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55% more industrial accidents, 85% more injuries and 75% greater absenteeism compared to people who tested negative for the drug.

And despite the fact that marijuana is illegal in South Carolina, marijuana and alcohol are the top two abused drugs treated by the LRADAC, formerly known as the The Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council.

“Marijuana, even at times, climbs higher than alcohol, but what we see is it’s predominantly those individuals that are entering the workforce or those who are in the workforce,” said Kaytee Watson, LRADAC community relations coordinator. “So that’s definitely concerning, when your largest population of marijuana use is those individuals that are working.”

Watson said according to LRADAC’s numbers, one in six people in the workplace is abusing substances. In 2016, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported about one in five Americans age 18 to 25 self-identified as current users of marijuana.

In 2018, LRADAC treated 3,141 people for marijuana misuse in both Lexington and Richland counties. The largest age group receiving treatment was 19 to 29 years old, accounting for about one-third of the total, or 1,037 people.

In the 11-county Midlands area, the S.C. Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services reported 3,393 people have been treated for marijuana use in 2019. Richland was the highest-reporting county, with 1,462 people treated, followed by Orangeburg with 594. Lexington County reported 515 people treated.

Not only is the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, THC, detectable by drug testing for up to eight days after one use, experts say the marijuana being used today is more potent than what was smoked at Woodstock.

“Marijuana used to be 4% THC level. But we’re now seeing 80-90% THC levels,” Watson said. “And marijuana stays in your system up to 18 to 24 hours. So you could indulge the night before and you’re still impaired when you get to work the next morning. That’s when things become really dangerous.”

Watson said it’s also difficult to measure impairment by marijuana because each person reacts differently to THC. Unlike Breathalyzer tests for alcohol, there is no quantitative test on the market to measure impairment by marijuana. A blood test will determine the level of THC in a person’s system, but not their level of impairment.

LRADAC is offering free training to businesses regarding marijuana in the workplace. The goal is to teach human resources professionals and business owners about the risks of marijuana-using employees so they can develop policies to address the issue before it becomes a problem.

“The training is an in-depth look at marijuana, how it’s used, the current state and federal laws about marijuana use,” said Hailey Kanipe, a prevention specialist with LRADAC. “We talk about the drug screening process, how employees might manipulate a drug screen. We also talk about signs that an employee might be intoxicated and how employers can change their workplace policies to protect themselves and their employees.”

First Sun EAP, operated by Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, is an employee assistance program that offers free training to businesses for identifying and dealing with marijuana use by employees.

“It starts back at the policy level, to really think about what your policies say. We have a lot of manufacturers who say ‘Gosh, if we didn’t hire anybody who tested positive for any marijuana in their system, we would not have a workforce,’ ” said Maria Lund, president and COO of First Sun EAP.

First Sun’s training includes experts offering information on marijuana, policy and law to help companies minimize risk and to help employees understand the risks of using the drug.

“What does your policy say and what is your goal? How much risk are you willing to take?” Lund said. “So look at your policies and talk to attorneys about your policies and then make sure that you follow them.”

Lund said it’s important to train the managers to spot potential use by employees before things go awry. And once a company institutes a policy, it should be applied consistently.

Now that some states are legalizing marijuana, companies that operate in those states have to consider local laws and develop their policies accordingly, she said. And as a growing number of people use products with non-hallucinogenic cannabidiol, or CBD, risks of increased THC levels can follow if those products are purchased online or from questionable sources.

“There’s no regulation on them, so people don’t know what they’re getting,” Lund said. “Sometimes, very innocently, someone will say, ‘Gosh, my neighbor gave me this CBD oil and said it would help me sleep better,’ and maybe it even says on it that it is safe, it doesn’t have THC in it, and then they go and get tested and, lo and behold, it did. And the person really has no recourse there. There are no laws about this yet, and there are no standards about what the companies that sell (CBD) have to report.”

Vaping presents another new avenue for marijuana consumption, Watson said.

“You can absolutely vape marijuana and nobody would know. There is no scent. … An employer would have no idea if somebody is going on a smoke break with a vape to smoke nicotine or marijuana. They could be smoking either,” Watson said. “When you vaporize THC, the effects are usually more heightened than if you were to smoke it raw.”

First Sun is hosting a free seminar Oct. 8 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Greenville. To schedule a First Sun EAP presentation, visit Firstsuneap.com or call 1-800-968-8143.

This article first appeared in the Sept. 9, 2019, print edition of the Columbia Regional Business Report.

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