Cannabis
legalization: Research and regulations need to catch up to legislation By Murray Elliott, president and CEO of Energy Safety Canada
O
ur industry is inherently risk-sensitive. Our fundamental view is that impairment in a workplace with high-risk activities, whether from a legal or illegal substance, has always been unacceptable and will continue to unacceptable. Over the last decade, the use of alcohol and drugs in the oil and gas industry has been a pressing safety concern. As the national safety association of the oil and gas industry, Energy Safety Canada has spent the past several years engaged in conversations with government and industry about the legalization of cannabis and how it will affect safety-sensitive work environments. The concerns we heard when speaking to industry were that legalization might lead to increased use of cannabis. With increased use, there is a
greater potential for workers to be impaired at work. Now, as we move into this new era of cannabis legalization, further research and data is required to determine whether cannabis use has increased, and if so, whether there are more near misses or incidents reported as a result of employees being impaired at work. Presently, owners and operators are prepared as best they can be. Employers have a responsibility to ensure a safe workplace by preventing workers who may be unfit for duty from engaging in activities that could have devastating consequences — this has not changed with the legalization of cannabis. Many employers have alcohol and drug policies in place that forbid any drugs or alcohol in the workplace. Policies
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