- Working Partners shares program about a drug-free workplace.
- A veteran in drug prevention shares her findings and information with Holmes businesses.
- Local businesses enjoy program, and get a lot out of it.
HARDY TOWNSHIP — With the recent legalization of adult use of marijuana in Ohio, the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce hosted an informational gathering of community business leaders for a presentation by Working Partners, a consulting firm that helps businesses minimize the liability associated with substance misuse by maintaining a drug-free workplace.
Allison Sharer, a veteran contractor for Working Partners, shared her 35-plus years of experience working in drug prevention with the more than 50 representatives from businesses around Holmes County at the Thursday morning session held at the reception hall at Skyview Ranch.
Sharer shared a lot of information about marijuana, its potency, its impact on users and how drug use can impact production at work.
She pointed out a lot of data collected has shown an increase in personal use since the first two states (Colorado and Washington) legalized marijuana in 2012.
So many questions and concerns
Sharer cited safety, productivity, liability and employee rights as some of the concerns to balance for businesses.
“Putting on our hiring glasses, this feels like another barrier for hiring,” she said. “I don’t care what my employees do on their own time, I just don’t want them doing it on the job. We hear that a lot.
“There are so many questions, and we’ve got to know so much more than we know in order to put it on the table and look at it objectively,” she continued. “We’ve got to take the politics out and the emotions out if we can and look at it objectively.”
Sharer said that what makes dealing with marijuana so difficult is that it is still illegal on a federal level, with a patchwork of state laws in which it is already legal. Plus, there is limited research.
“It is also very personal and sometimes emotional,” she said. The drug is still illegal at a federal level which puts us between a rock and a hard place. Because we just passed the adult use of marijuana here in Ohio doesn’t mean our law and our system and a citizen’s rights under that law means the same as it does in Michigan.”
Marijuana is not like alcohol
Sharer pointed to a movement that wants to treat marijuana like alcohol. She also highlighted a number of key things about marijuana that make it different from alcohol.
“It’s that your time versus our time thing that comes into play,” she said. “I don’t want workers impaired on my job. When we think about impairment, people picture stumbling, staggering, swaying and some slurred speech. That’s motor skills, physical impairment.
“All drugs, including alcohol are impairing mentally before it ever shows physically,” she continued. “Anyone who gets to the beginning signs of physical impairment, they were already mentally impaired. All drugs, including alcohol and marijuana begin impairing mentally before it shows physically.”
She added that marijuana is more impairing mentally than it will ever show physically, which adds to the problem.
Sharer added some best practices that people can take away from the program included having a company policy in place, employee education, supervisor training, testing and putting a plan for assistance in place.
What businesses had to say
Mike Eberly of Weaver Commercial Contractors said the importance of reviewing his company’s policy and addressing marijuana use specifically was a big takeaway for him from the program.
“I think a lot of it is a wait and see kind of game now,” Eberly said. “I think today’s meeting was very beneficial.”
A.J. Wahlie of the Hummel Group agreed.
“I think No. 1 is looking over your own policy and figure out what you are going to do,” Wahlie said. “I think this will affect every employer differently, more individualized, depending on the type of company you are. We’ve got to go back to square one, figure out what your policy is and how you are going to enforce it, and make sure you have effective communication with your employees.”
Tom Nelson of Yoder Lumber added that he believes the biggest impact will come during the hiring process. He also noted that employees cannot be impaired when they come into work.
“We have already posted signs about the issue of coming to work impaired,” he said.
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