NWCDC 2018: Taking a Look at Marijuana from the Medical, Legal and Workplace Perspectives

Las Vegas, NV (WorkersCompensation.com) – It wouldn’t be a work comp conference without the mention of marijuana and its effects, right?!

Marcos Iglesias; SVP, Chief Medical Officer, Broadspire told a large crowd he was appalled by the low level of marijuana knowledge in the work comp industry. As speakers, Iglesias and Stuart Colburn; Shareholder, Downs Stanford, wanted to educate the audience not only about marijuana use in work comp, but what the medical, legal and workplace perspectives are when it comes to the drug. 

“…The horse is already out of the barn,” Colburn joked, referencing the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana in states across the U.S.

Colburn went on to discuss which states preclude reimbursement when it comes to marijuana and work comp: Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, Oregon and Vermont.

Which states require reimbursement? Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New Mexico.

We need to stop talking about medical marijuana vs. recreational marijuana, Iglesias said. Is it recreational, for use like alcohol? Or is it a medication you need to use as a treatment? 

The greater percentage of marijuana users are younger, and the likelihood of daily use is fairly significant as well, according to the speaker pair.

When we talk about CBD vs. THC, the highs that result from the two are different. CBD brings on more of a relaxation vs. THC which gives the kind of “stoney” effect people talk about. 

We are running into issues where people confuse CBD as a non-illicit substance, when really it is hard to consume CBD-laced treats, plants, oil, etc. that doesn’t contain any amount of THC. When a worker or employee takes the CBD, they will still pop positive on a drug test, just like ingesting THC. 

Let’s also talk about edibles. When an employee eats a marijuana-laced treat of some kind, the timing for the high to kick in varies from 30 minutes to even an hour or two. If you say you feel fine, then perform a safety-sensitive task at work, the high could result later, and it doesn’t mix well with operating machinery, driving, etc., per Iglesias and Colburn.

Adverse effects on the developing brain, per Iglesias’s white paper on the topic, include a decrease in IQ, sometimes in as much as six points. 

Cannabis use disorder is a real occurrence too, according to Iglesias. 6.8 million people are afflicted with the disorder, which is nine percent of adult users. Addiction and withdrawal symptoms can result as well.

Iglesias also touched on reproductive effects that result from marijuana use, including lower birth weights and harming the baby’s health.

On the subject of workplace issues, we see a lot less pre-employment drug testing, according to Colburn. This is likely due to increased use of marijuana, which leads to more positive tests.

How many companies still participate in immediate post-accident testing after there is an accident on the job? About one-third of the attendees rose their hands. Colburn said this could be in violation of federal law (depending on the state), as it can encourage a discriminatory effect on employees. (There are obviously some exceptions, like the DOT, etc.)

Between the medical, legal and workplace perspectives of marijuana, and its place in our lives, it is time for employees and employers to start paying attention if they haven’t done so yet. Just like the horse being let out of the barn, Colburn said this isn’t a case of the Genie retreating back into the lamp.  

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