Category

Recent News

Legal private use of cannabis a challenge for workplace drug testing

Stuff co.nz 6 February 2019 
OPINION: The Government recently announced that it will be undertaking a binding referendum on legalising the personal use of cannabis at the 2020 election.

Naturally this has caused the drug debate to heat up, with Paula Bennett, National’s newly appointed drug reform spokeswoman recently going head to head with the Green Party’s Chloe Swarbrick.

Bennett warned that if cannabis was decriminalised, we would see the downfall of decent society as we know it.

Leaving aside the potential downfall of decent society, questions do arise as to how legalisation would change the way employers approach the use of cannabis by employees.

Currently, it is open to an employer to test for cannabis, as long as they have in place a policy (or contractual provision) that provides for drug testing.

The policy must be clear as to how testing will occur and in what circumstances, and what consequences may flow from a refusal to be tested or a failed test.

This does not mean that employers have an absolute right to require employees to take a drug test, and random drug testing will generally only be permissible in the case of employees who are working in safety sensitive positions.

However, where an employer has reasonable grounds to suspect that an employee is using drugs, or following an accident or near miss, drug testing may also be permissible.

In these circumstances, if an employee is found to have cannabis in their system, dismissal may be justified, especially if the employee is working in a safety sensitive role.

There is typically an assumption that the employee’s drug use gives rise to a heightened level of risk in the performance of their role, regardless of whether it can be proved that they were impaired at the time.

But if the personal use of cannabis becomes legalised, employers will need to take a different approach to this issue. It might be difficult to argue that the fact of an employee having cannabis in their system in itself justifies dismissal, when this is not illegal.

Instead it is likely that the focus will need to turn to demonstrating actual impairment as a result of the drug use, in a similar way to alcohol use.

Demonstrating impairment is not always easy. The difficulty is that drug testing does not necessarily indicate impairment, rather it tests for the presence of cannabis, which can stay in the system for months, long after the effect has gone.

This is likely to lead to employers having to make assessments based on the level of cannabis in the employee’s system, and therefore the likelihood of impairment at the relevant point in time.

This is hardly scientific and is likely to result in personal grievances.

Alternatively, if an employer suspects an employee of being affected by cannabis during work hours, and can act quickly, a blood or saliva test may show whether cannabis has been used in the previous few hours.

If an employee refuses to undergo a drug test in these circumstances, dismissal may be justified based on the assumption that they have something to hide.

While many employers in safety sensitive industries continue to take a robust approach to enforcing a zero tolerance to drug taking, other employers are moving to policies based on prevention, support and rehabilitation.

These employers encourage employees to participate in counselling and drug free programmes as an alternative to taking a punitive approach to drug use. Employees are also encouraged to proactively disclose that they have an issue and to seek help in this way through their employer.

In many ways this parallels the debate at a national level as to whether to continue to treat cannabis use as a criminal activity, or a social issue.

The fact that we are now having this discussion suggests that a more sophisticated approach is being taken to the issue, and one that is evidence based.

In an employment context this will require employers to have a better understanding of the relationship between use and impairment.

Even if cannabis use is decriminalised, it would be a mistake for employees to assume that there will be no consequences of using on their employment.

There is plenty of evidence demonstrating that drug use does impair performance, and create safety risks, but there will be a greater need for education about the period of time that this effect is likely to last.

Whatever happens in terms of the referendum, the issue is not a black and white one. I have not as yet decided which way I will vote, but I can say it will be based on the evidence and not personal preconceptions.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110383741/legal-private-use-of-cannabis-a-challenge-for-workplace-drug-testing

signup-rollKeep up with family issues in NZ.
Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.

Cannabis company Helius Therapeutics removes billboards after complaints

Stuff co.nz 11 February 2019
Family First Comment“The ASA said it was not socially responsible to imply that all cannabis was “medicine”. It found the billboards breached both the general code and the Therapeutic and Health Advertising Code.”
Say yes to medicinal cannabinoids (which are researched as safe and effective) but say NO to recreational dope.
www.VoteNo.nz 

Billboards promoting cannabis as a medicine have been found in breach of advertising standards.

The Advertising Standards Authority made the decision after several complaints about the billboard campaign in December, but it took no action because the advertiser, Helius Therapeutics, had taken down the signs.

One complainant, T Williamson, said only medicines that had been evaluated by Medsafe and had consent to be distributed were allowed to be advertised in New Zealand.

Another, B Heslop, said the advertisement gave the impression that all cannabis was medicine and therefore good for you, which was misleading.

Medicinal cannabis company Helius put up three versions of a billboard, each with a different photo of a person and the words, “Cannabis is a medicine.”

The company said the purpose of the campaign was to address the stigma associated with cannabis, draw attention to its use as a medicine and honour patients and advocates who had stood up for reform.

Of the four complainants, two zeroed in on cannabis still being illegal. The Government passed a bill in December which will allow pharmacies to sell regulated marijuana products and plans to hold a referendum on personal cannabis use in 2020.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/110494284/cannabis-company-helius-therapeutics-removes-billboards-after-complaintstwitter follow us

Incidents of marijuana poisoning more than triple in Quebec since legalization

Fox News 8 February 2019 
Incidents of cannabis poisoning in the Canadian province of Quebec have more than tripled since marijuana was legalized for recreational use, according to the local poison center, who have filed a report with the public health department.

The group has announced 89 recorded cases of marijuana poisoning between October and December of 2018, compared to 25 cases in the same time frame the previous year, according to CBC.

The symptoms of marijuana poisoning are characterized by a similarity to alcohol poisoning: high heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, vomiting, and occasionally psychosis severe enough to require hospitalization. However, unlike alcohol poisoning, it is not simply caused by consuming too much of the drug.

Health officials say they’re moving away from the term “cannabis overdose,” for fear that it is too synonymous with a fatal overdose. The reason behind the rise in marijuana poisoning is unclear at this time, but Maude Saint-Onge, director of the Poison Control Center, has a few theories.

“Right now, it’s hard to distinguish whether there is more exposure, more cases of over-intoxication, or simply more people calling because they feel more comfortable now that it’s legal,” she said.

“If we see a sudden spike, with a specific product or with cannabis in general, we’ll alert public health right away,” she added.
READ MORE: https://www.foxnews.com/world/incidents-of-marijuana-poisoning-more-than-triple-in-quebec-since-legalization?cmpid=prn_msn

facebook_icon

Cannabis: I wish this referendum had a third option

Stuff co.nz 11 February 2019
Family First Comment: Interesting commentary
“As a parent, I am worried about the normalisation of weed – worried that it becomes as common and accepted as seeing a group of workers puffing on cigarettes on the street during smoko/vapo, or passing an outdoor bar filled with jolly drinkers. Some friends visiting from the legal-marijuana state of Colorado recently reported people openly smoking dope on the streets, despite public consumption remaining illegal.  The neighbourhoods around high schools, they said, generate plenty of afternoon business for local growers.  For my extended family in Illinois, where its medicinal use has been legal for two years and 2019 is likely to bring recreational legality, cannabis is easy to source and casually discussed in many circles.”

OPINION: When sex work was decriminalised in 2003, it made sense to me. Shining some legislative light on an industry that had functioned in regulatory darkness for millennia seemed the right thing to do, at last allowing health and safety standards, tax obligations, and employment laws into workspaces of the industry’s staff, clients and business owners.

By most accounts, the Prostitution Reform Act took the crime out of sex services in New Zealand.  After 15 years and many evaluations, including surveying sex workers, many now agree this contentious legislation has had a positive effect on, at least, the working environment and safety of sex workers and their clients.

Could cannabis users benefit from similar thinking?  Should we get the growth and sale of marijuana out of dank tinny houses and gang-controlled crops and into the light of our everyday?

Medicinal cannabis is a no-brainer; it’s alarming that such an effective pain relief didn’t hit the legitimate market decades ago.  Dealing with laws around its recreational use is much more vexed.

I have always liked the idea of regulating aspects of the sector to improve both the quality of the product and the conditions for people working in the sector. For example, if growers were part of a legitimate, not hidden, supply chain, government could ensure consumers are aware of the level of the crop’s THC – the plant’s active ingredient, responsible for most of its psychological effects. Governments around the world already regulate how alcohol and tobacco products are marketed so their alcohol and nicotine levels are known to buyers. The notion that a regulating structure could bring consistency to a drug used by 13 per cent of Kiwis (the UN Office on Drugs and Crime tells us) sounds as sensible as legitimising prostitution work.

But as discussion of cannabis legalisation increases after the government announcement of a binding referendum on the issue next year, and as my kids blast through adolescence surrounded by risks and distractions my generation never had to face, I have recently questioned my thinking.

As a parent, I am worried about the normalisation of weed – worried that it becomes as common and accepted as seeing a group of workers puffing on cigarettes on the street during smoko/vapo, or passing an outdoor bar filled with jolly drinkers. Some friends visiting from the legal-marijuana state of Colorado recently reported people openly smoking dope on the streets, despite public consumption remaining illegal.  The neighbourhoods around high schools, they said, generate plenty of afternoon business for local growers.  For my extended family in Illinois, where its medicinal use has been legal for two years and 2019 is likely to bring recreational legality, cannabis is easy to source and casually discussed in many circles.  If New Zealand follows the trend and votes yes in the referendum, having weed as part of our everyday lives is something we will have to be ready for.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/110448280/i-wish-this-referendum-had-a-third-option

facebook_icon

Cannabis chocolate bar sends two children to hospital-Canada 🇨🇦

CTV News 3 February 2019
Family First Comment: “There have been several reported cases of children ending up in hospital after consuming cannabis products since the drug was partially legalized in Canada, including one incident in December 2018 in which a child brought his parent’s cannabis-infused cookies to an elementary school in Oshawa, Ont. Two students ended up in hospital.”
#failedexperiment 
#BigTobacco2 
www.SayNopeToDope.org.nz

Two young children were taken to hospital after consuming a chocolate bar containing cannabis, police in Manitoba say.

Brandon police tweeted Saturday that they had been contacted that afternoon to help paramedics with a call.

According to police, a two-year-old and a five-year-old had eaten the chocolate. They were still being monitored in hospital as of Sunday.

“Easy to see why children would think this is a regular chocolate bar,” police said in their tweet, which included a picture of the snack in question.

Police say no criminal charges are expected. Child and Family Services have been contacted.

Staff Sgt. Brian Partridge told CTV Winnipeg that Brandon police had not received any previous calls of this type. He said parents should ensure they store products containing cannabis in places children are not able to access.
READ MORE: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cannabis-chocolate-bar-sends-two-children-to-hospital-1.4280830
twitter follow us

Colorado ER Doc Says “Recreational” Pot Has Ruined My Town

Illinois Family Institute 30 January 2019
Family First Comment:  “She warns about the danger of edibles, the increase in homelessness and chronic absenteeism in schools, and the strain and drain on social service agencies, law enforcement, medical facilities and professionals, and taxpayers. Drawing from her emergency room experience with adolescents, Dr. Randall discusses the alarming trend toward cannabis use disorder, psychotic episodes, and schizophrenia in younger users.” 
www.VoteNo.nz

Marijuana – is it a harmless plant, a medically beneficial substance, or a dangerous, destructive drug? Depending on who you ask, the answer will vary widely.

Dr. Karen Randall speaks to this question based on her experience as an ER physician and a resident of Pueblo, Colorado. This community has first-hand knowledge of the devastating effects of legalized marijuana for “medical” and recreational use.

Dr. Randall explains the science that proves the marijuana of today is not the same as the comparatively low-potency pot that baby boomers smoked in the sixties and seventies. She warns about the danger of edibles, the increase in homelessness and chronic absenteeism in schools, and the strain and drain on social service agencies, law enforcement, medical facilities and professionals, and taxpayers. Drawing from her emergency room experience with adolescents, Dr. Randall discusses the alarming trend toward cannabis use disorder, psychotic episodes, and schizophrenia in younger users.

Liberal leaders and legislators don’t want you to hear what Dr. Randall has to say. Unless we want to suffer the same fate as Pueblo and the state of Colorado, we must spread the truth about legalized recreational marijuana. Please share this video with family and friends!
https://illinoisfamily.org/marijuana-2/er-doc-says-recreational-pot-has-ruined-my-town/

facebook_icon

15 Portland middle-schoolers sent home after ingesting marijuana edibles

Oregon Live 3 February 2019
Family First Comment: The marijuana industry is not concerned in the health of your children.
“She said two students brought the marijuana to the school in “dessert snack” form.”
#peoplebeforeprofits
www.SayNopeToDope.nz

Two Portland eighth-graders face disciplinary action after school officials say the pair supplied marijuana edibles to more than a dozen classmates.

Fifteen students at Harriet Tubman Middle School likely ingested the drug Wednesday, a district spokesman confirmed Saturday. Officials notified parents the same day of the incident.

“This of deep concern to us, and we are committed to ensuring our students understand the risks associated with any drug, including marijuana, and are safe in our schools,” spokesman Harry Esteve said in a statement provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive. He did not specify if the district’s count of 15 students included the two who supplied the drugs.

When school leaders learned what had happened, they immediately launched an investigation to identify all the students involved, he said. They also contacted police. Esteve said the two students who provided the marijuana are now going through the school’s disciplinary process. It’s not clear whether all the students knew the edibles contained marijuana.

The recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Oregon for anyone younger than 21.

The incident came to light after Harriet Tubman Principal Natasha Butler sent an email to parents Wednesday describing what happened. She said two students brought the marijuana to the school in “dessert snack” form.
READ MORE: https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2019/02/15-portland-middle-schoolers-sent-home-after-ingesting-marijuana-edibles.html

signup-rollKeep up with family issues in NZ.
Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.

Think cannabis is harmless? So did I. But I know better now

National Post 30 January 2019
Family First Comment: ..On a typical Saturday night, two friends and I were cooking dinner. A friend offered me half a medical marijuana gummy. She took the other half. About 45 minutes later, I started to feel strange. It’s hard to explain how. I had had bad experiences with weed before. This felt similar; like I knew something very bad was about to happen. I decided to go home. I, still, to this day, don’t know what actually happened that night and what didn’t. I was totally disconnected from reality. I was hallucinating, dreaming while awake. Welcome to a weed overdose, friends — a drug-induced psychosis….
I’m telling this story because I think it’s important for people to realize that although cannabis has a reputation as being safe and benign, that’s not always the case. As my psychiatrist likes to remind me: people’s minds and bodies are different, and have varying reactions to drugs, to alcohol, to stress.

Last year, shortly before cannabis was legalized, StarMetro Vancouver reported that in 2017, 567 people were admitted to emergency rooms at St. Paul’s, Vancouver General, Surrey Memorial and Kelowna General hospitals for cannabis overdoses or related mental and behavioural issues.

I was one of them.

This isn’t easy to write about. I’m well aware that this will be part of my story forever, for anyone to look up online. Still, people need to know the risks.

In mid-2017, on a typical Saturday night, two friends and I were cooking dinner. A friend offered me half a medical marijuana gummy. She took the other half. About 45 minutes later, I started to feel strange. It’s hard to explain how. I had had bad experiences with weed before. This felt similar; like I knew something very bad was about to happen.

I decided to go home. I, still, to this day, don’t know what actually happened that night and what didn’t. I was totally disconnected from reality. I was hallucinating, dreaming while awake. Welcome to a weed overdose, friends — a drug-induced psychosis.

I remember walking down the street, not being able to swallow. Falling down. Laying face-first on Robson Street in downtown Vancouver yelling at people driving and walking by that I was dying. I remember the paramedics kicking me out of the ambulance. I remember dead people being wheeled past me in the emergency room at St. Paul’s. But I’m not entirely sure if any of these things happened.
READ MORE: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/opinion-think-cannabis-is-harmless-i-used-to-too-i-know-better-now
twitter follow us

Drug victim Anna Wood’s dad: Pill testing won’t work

Family First Comment: A powerful letter from a dad
“How could Anna have taken her drug safely? How many other grieving parents who have lost their babies to drugs have experienced this pressure from the harm minimisation campaigners? It was on that day we learned that drug education is a political issue and that there is a well-funded and highly organised movement in our country called ‘Harm Minimisation’. There is no doubt that this ridiculous concept is killing our children.“

Tony – Anna’s dad – gave permission for Family First NZ to print his letter to us
In 1995 our 15-year-old daughter, Anna, ingested an Ecstasy tablet at a dance party in Sydney. The result was she stopped breathing in my arms. She was put on life support and taken to hospital where she passed away. The Coroner’s Report from her death states that the pill Anna had taken was pure MDMA. It was not contaminated. It did not contain any other substance. It was pure. Does that make it a good one? If they had tested her pill, what would they have been testing for?

I want you to know something, and it breaks my heart: testing Anna’s tablet would not have made it any safer. She would still be dead.

Drugs are idiosyncratic so you never know how they are going to affect a person at any given time. Our Anna died, whereas the friends she went out with, who also took the same pills, survived. Testing pills will not give us the critical information about how your body and your brain will be affected by the chemicals. The effect will be different because we are all unique. We can compare it to chemotherapy – some people respond well to chemo and go on to live for years. For others, including my beautiful wife, Angela, this wasn’t the case and for them chemotherapy doesn’t work. This is how drugs are idiosyncratic – what works for one person may not work for another. We are all unique. Sadly there is not a test can tell you if you will be alive after taking it.

Within a week of Anna’s death, we were approached by the Australia Medical Association to start a new education campaign called “Love This Life” and our first meeting was within a day of her funeral. We were invited to sit around a boardroom table at the AMA with a panel of drug experts and professionals, many of whom you will have seen on the news and on the television. These ‘professionals’ spent an hour persuading us to use our tragedy to teach kids how to take drugs safely. We left that meeting shocked and horrified. How could Anna have taken her drug safely? How many other grieving parents who have lost their babies to drugs have experienced this pressure from the harm minimisation campaigners? It was on that day we learned that drug education is a political issue and that there is a well-funded and highly organised movement in our country called ‘Harm Minimisation’. There is no doubt that this ridiculous concept is killing our children.

I would do anything to save the precious lives of young people and if I thought pill testing at festivals would prevent deaths, I would support it. But they have been testing pills in in Europe for a long time. In 2004 Angela and I were invited to take Anna’s Story to France and travelled all over that country doing school talks and speaking to the media. The subject of pill testing came up time and again, and the message came through loud and clear, it does not work. Kids were still dying at dance parties.

America’s Opioid crisis

Radio NZ News 30 January 2019
Family First Comment: And they think they can ‘regulate’ the marijuana industry!
Not when Big Marijuana sees the dollars.
#PeopleBeforeProfit
www.VoteNO.nz

When two pharmacies in a tiny town of less than 3 thousand people fill prescriptions for more than 21 million opiod pills, you’d think red flags would go up somewhere. But for nearly two long decades, and after  the deaths of tens of thousands of people, dodgy doctors continued to write scripts while regulators, lawmakers and medical professionals were either frozen with inertia or worse, looked the other way.

Chris McGreal is a senior journalist at The Guardian. He identifies the problems with corporate interest, and the  American medical, political and financial systems that allowed the worst drug epidemic in American history to happen. His book is called American Overdose: the Opioid Tragedy in Three Acts.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018680394/america-s-opioid-crisis

LISTEN https://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018680394

signup-rollKeep up with family issues in NZ.
Receive our weekly emails direct to your Inbox.