Are Recent Developments Causing Your Drug Policies To Go Up In Smoke?

How does a brain on drugs effect your workplace? Hear from a doctor and employment lawyers about the medical effects of cannabis, along with how to apply drug policies in the age of cannabis in the workplace and opioid abuse, during this informative seminar.

Janilyn Daub and Michael Palmer, Barnes & Thornburg

Michigan voters decided to legalize the recreational use of marijuana during last November’s election. Michigan was the ninth state to legalize marijuana and now more than half of the 50 states permit some form of medical marijuana use, while others are contemplating CBD-product laws.

This mismatch of laws, coupled with federal law that still criminalizes marijuana, leaves many employers wondering what they can prohibit and test for in the workplace. For example, if an employee engages in legal drug use off-the-clock, can the employer with a zero-tolerance policy still discipline or terminate the employee who fails a drug test?

What are an employer’s rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act when disciplining employees for behavior stemming from their addictions? Do employers have an obligation to allow employees time off to attend drug addiction counseling?

During this seminar, we will help analyze the choices employers face from the patchwork of marijuana laws, the opioid crisis, and other employee drug and alcohol issues, and discuss best practices and policy approaches that flow from them.

Topics to be covered include:

• How Michigan’s and other states’ laws legalizing recreational or medical marijuana impact your policies and practices
• How the opioid crisis and other common employee drug and alcohol use impact your policies and practices
• How to detect employee drug use
• Practical advice for policies and practices to address this issue

Medical Effects of Cannabis

Dr. Suhyal Nasr, Beacon Health System

Dr. Nasr will cover information as it relates to the brain’s natural receptors for cannabis and why excessive use is problem. Dr. Nasr will also share information on how to detect cannabis and the affects it has on the brain.