Most Canadian employees OK with drug testing at work

Many also want expungement orders for people convicted of possession: survey

BY Jim Wilson 06 Nov. 2023

A majority of Canadian workers want employers to be able to administer drug testing of workers, according to a recent report.

Nearly three in five (58%) think these drug tests should “definitely” or “probably” be allowed, according to a recent Research Co. report.

And 69% of Canadians are in favour of the federal government providing expungement orders – which compels police forces, federal departments or agencies to destroy or remove any judicial record of a conviction – for people convicted of possession of cannabis for personal use with no intent to traffic. This number has jumped by five percentage points since October 2022.

Legalized marijuana

However, nearly two in three (64%) Canadians agree with marijuana being legal while 31% disagree.

“Support for the legalization of marijuana is highest among Canadians aged 55 and over (66%),” says Mario Canseco, president of Research Co. “The proportions are lower among those aged 35-to-54 (56%) and those aged 18-to-34 (48%).”

The popularity of this notion differs among different parts of the country:

Ontario (72%)
Saskatchewan and Manitoba (71%)
Alberta (70%)
Quebec (68%)
Atlantic Canada (65%)
British Columbia (also 65%)

Among those who have used cannabis, almost half (48%) state that “all” of their cannabis was acquired at a licensed retailer, while 17% say “none” of it came from a licensed retailer.

The percentage of employees testing positive for marijuana after a workplace accident reached a 25-year high in 2022, with the positivity rate increasing by over 200% within a decade, according to a previous report.

Should other substances be legalized?

A few Canadians are even calling for legalization of other currently illegal substances, finds Research Co.’s survey of 1,000 Canadians, conducted between Oct. 11 and 13, 2023.

These substances include:

ecstasy (12%)
powder cocaine (also 12%)
heroin (10%)
crack cocaine (also 10%)
methamphetamine or “crystal meth” (9%)
fentanyl (9%)

Workplace rules around cannabis

Cannabis laws continue to give Canadian employers a headache, according to a previous report.

When it comes to substance use in the workplace, both employers and employees have responsibilities, according to Employment and Social Development Canada.

Employers, it notes, should:

ensure the health and safety of all employees at work
address physical and/or psychological hazards in their workplace, including when impaired.
work with employee representatives to develop, implement and evaluate a hazard prevention program to monitor and prevent hazards
include policies on substance use and impairment in hazard prevention programs when the use of cannabis and other causes of impairment represents a hazard.

Meanwhile, employees must:

work safely
understand the impact that using substances (medical/therapeutic or non-medical) can have on their safety and that of others
report to their employer anything or circumstance that is likely to be hazardous to the employees or any other person in the workplace
inform their employer if a medical condition or treatment may cause impairment and impact their ability to perform their job safely
follow all instructions provided by the employer concerning the health and safety of employees

The legalization of cannabis provides an opportunity for employers to “consider new connections to the community,” says the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research.

“For example, an employer might collaborate with a local university to support research on cannabis effects in the workplace. Or, an employer with document design capacity might partner with health and education organizations to develop quality educational resources related to cannabis,” it says.

“The possibilities are almost endless. The products of these partnerships will be of benefit in the workplace and beyond.”