Marijuana, or cannabis, is a drug that seemingly attracts endless debate. Should medical marijuana be legalised? Should all cannabis use be legalised? Could legalisation of marijuana help raise taxes and increase jobs?
While those debates continue, there is one thing that can’t be debated: people affected by cannabis don’t belong in our workplaces.
Cannabis is Australia’s most used illicit drug. Approximately 35% of Australians aged 14 years and over have tried cannabis and more than 10% have used it in the past year. Its availability is one of the reasons that the drug is so popular, along with the ‘high’ it produces.
Cannabis is a depressant drug, which slows the messages travelling between a person’s brain and their body. Its side effects mean users can have trouble concentrating, and can experience blurred vision, slow reflexes, clumsiness and low blood pressure. In some cases, people can see and hear things that aren’t there and can experience mild anxiety and paranoia.
Do these symptoms belong in a workplace? Clearly not, which is why random testing for cannabis, as well as other drugs and alcohol, is a must for all Australian businesses.
