Faria: Workplace marijuana policy to come in January

The TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce is engaged in meetings and discussions with human resource consultants and attorneys to draft a workplace policy restricting the use of marijuana in the workplace, according to chamber CEO Gabriel Faria on Sunday.

Speaking with Newsday, Faria said the passing of amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, decriminalising the possession of marijuana has prompted employers to revisit workplace policy on alcohol and drug use and the chamber has taken the first steps towards drafting a policy on the use of the drugs in the workplace.

He said like alcohol, the use of marijuana would be prohibited in work places, but the policy would also be aimed towards treating to more specific issues in various fields.

“Similarly to the way someone cannot come to work intoxicated, if you go into office and you’re drunk there are ramifications for that. So I’m assuming we’re going to have similar policies and procedures in place to deal with this.

“This only came about quite quickly so it’s not something we have completely sorted out on how to deal with it, so we are seeking guidance from attorneys and human resource professionals to ensure we support our members by informing them of the best policies and practices to ensure that employees are treated fairly but also to ensure the organisation is not negatively impacted.”

Faria said given the pace of discussions, the first draft of a workplace marijuana policy may be available from January 6.

He said among the issues the policy would address is to restrict the use of marijuana for workers who operate heavy machinery.