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Let's be careful out there. (Facebook photo)
With the legalization of marijuana a reality in Canada and a strong possibility in Michigan, many questions remain, including a big one: How much can a business require from its workers regarding legal pot use?
An employee who enjoys a martini on Saturday night can show up for work on Monday cold sober. And one who smokes pot on Saturday night will also be sober on Monday, but the latter will test positive for the drug for days, weeks, even up to a month. Is that fair?
(The Michigan ballot proposal will allow employers to continue to drug-test for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, if you're wondering. They can also make clean drug tests a condition of employment.)
Now come the first steps toward finding that balance, and they come from the Windsor Police Service.
First of all, can we marvel over that name? The Windsor Police Service, with its implicit what can we do for you? promise. So Canadian.
Anyway, officers are expected to report "fit for duty" and are "strongly encouraged" not to use recreational drugs "at all times." The CBC reports:
Chief Al Frederick has said he wants officers to avoid weed altogether days before legalization.
"Marijuana is a drug, it's addictive, it's harmful to you and I expect our officers to avoid it," Frederick said at the time.
In the new policy, officers are asked to disclose to their supervisor if they are not fit for duty and are encouraged to seek support should they have a substance use disorder or an addiction-related illness.
The policy says there will be a "safe and discrete environment" for disclosing such matters.
Nothing about random testing. Just an honor system. So, so Canadian again.
Let's see how this works out.
