Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Chamber to host workshop to discuss effects of cannabis legalization

Mar 23, 2018 | 5:00 PM

Battlefords area business owners will have an opportunity to learn how cannabis legalization might impact their workplace policies at a local Chamber workshop Wednesday.

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce is asking people interested in attending the event, called Cannabis 101: Cannabis and the Workplace, to register by Monday.

The workshop features legal and human resource experts who will provide practical advice to employers to help them prepare their business for legalized cannabis.

Jon Danyliw, a Saskatoon associate lawyer with the law firm Miller Thomson, is one of the guest speakers at the event in the morning session.

“We will be discussing some of the issues that might be arising due to the legalization of cannabis for recreational use that is supposed to be coming up this summer-time,” he said. “What we are really aiming to do is to give employers some guidance, in terms of how they can be ready for that.”

He said employers would likely be looking at updating their policies, and could have some questions about this process.

“In particular, employers may have drug and alcohol policies in their workplace, and workplace accommodation policies, so they might want to, at this point in time, take a look at those policies and review them, make sure they are up to date, and make sure that they are ready to deal with legalized cannabis,” Danyliw said.

He said the morning session of the workshop will be addressing the legalities that would concern employers regarding both recreational and medicinal cannabis use.

“It will be the legal considerations surrounding cannabis-use in the workplace — when you can, when you can’t use it. If it’s legal, do we have to allow our employees to use it at work? And, what happens if somebody says: ‘Well, I’m using it for a medical reason,’” Danyliw added.

He said the presentation will also address how employers can cover these topics in their workplace policies, in a general way.

“If it’s just recreational [use], I think employers can treat it in much the same way they can alcohol,” Danyliw said. “They can determine whether or not employees will be allowed to have that on the work premises, and if employees will be entitled to use that while they are at work. Then, I’m going to say most employers will probably say: ‘No you can’t.’’’   

Chamber executive director Linda Machniak said about 30 people have already registered to take part in the workshop.   

She said in addition to local chamber members there are also a number of businesses from many rural municipalities coming from the surrounding area, including Unity, West of the Battlefords, and to the North of the Battlefords.

“We’re hoping to cover the region in our presentation,” Machniak said.

The Cannabis 101workshop takes place at the Don Ross Centre on March 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

 

 angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW