Results from a very recent survey in the USA indicate employers need to keep up with the times regarding cannabis use among employees.
In September, EO Care surveyed 1,027 qualified respondents from states where medicinal and/or recreational cannabis is legal on their use of and views on cannabis. All qualifying respondents were employed and least part time, and all worked in industries where cannabis wasn’t specifically prohibited by federal law; such as trucking/transportation.
Among the results:
- 18 percent of respondents reported using cannabis for health reasons in the previous 12 months.
- 19 percent had used it for recreational reasons during the same timeframe
- 14 percent had used it for both purposes.
- The top three reasons for cannabis use were to address anxiety, pain and sleep issues.
- 88 percent of medical users said cannabis reduced their consumption of prescription drugs, alcohol or both.
- 22 percent indicated their employer prohibited the use of cannabis in and outside of the workplace.
- 51 percent said they would be likely/very likely to use cannabis if it were offered by their health plan.
- 56 percent said they would be more likely to apply for jobs at companies that offer cannabis care benefits.
- 65 percent indicated they would be more comfortable using cannabis if it were screened and dosed by a physician.
“94 percent of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal in some form,” said Sean Collins, co-founder and CEO of EO Care. “And we know a large percentage of Americans have used cannabis in the past year, so this is definitely impacting employees and health outcomes.”
Mr Collins said with appropriate guidance, employers have an opportunity to help their employees, improve health outcomes and be progressive leaders. EO Care provides clinician guidance and proprietary data models to help employers tackle unguided cannabis use, which can be problematic in the workplace.
“Recent studies suggest no impact to productivity when cannabis is used wisely outside of work,” states the firm. “Given prevalence of use, zero tolerance policies are no longer viable options for most jobs.”
More from the survey can be viewed here (note: basic registration required).
