UNLESS YOU’RE IN A BAND –
June 23, 2023 – “The reasonable thing for an employer to assume is that they are a risk factor if there’s any recent use at all, [of] either alcohol or marijuana. And then the same goes for opioids and benzodiazepines and other prescription drugs. We know that with impairment at certain levels, reaction times change and coordination is impaired.”
Even where safety is not a primary concern, cannabis intoxication can negatively affect performance and productivity. So as with alcohol, employers in most states who suspect their employees are under the influence of THC are within their rights to request a drug test.
But this is where the alcohol-cannabis comparison fails, when it comes to the practicalities.
There are simple ways to test for alcohol intoxication, like breathalyzers that can give a more or less accurate reading of blood alcohol content in real time. But currently, there is no test for cannabis intoxication that provides instant results.
Just as importantly, intoxication from both alcohol and cannabis tapers off a few hours after consumption, while someone who has recently sobered up from alcohol can accurately produce a negative test result.
