Cannabis has been one of the key components for drug testing. Employers today conduct tests for cannabis consumption along with drug and alcohol testing pre-employment to ensure that the candidate is safe for the work environment. But recent studies have shown that people who consume cannabis after office hours are able to give their 100% output for the subsequent day. Can this fact prove that cannabis can be consumed by the employees post-work? Obviously not. Let’s get some insights on how does cannabis consumption affect an employee even if it is consumed post work.
What exactly does the research say?
There have been limited studies that have proved the effects of cannabis on the work of an employee. But one of the Recent researches published in May 2020 says that the employees who consumed cannabis after their office hours did not show any effect on the work the next day. However, the ones who consumed it before or during office hours were not able to give maximum output at work.
However, the study had some limitations to reporting the quantity of cannabis consumed by the employee. Also, productivity during working hours can also get hampered due to stress or physical ailments. This might also have interfered with the final results.
However, even though productivity is not hindered by cannabis consumption, it still affects you in different ways no matter when you consume it.
Cannabis after work can hinder your productivity: How?
No matter if you are feeling good even after consuming cannabis today. But in long run, it’s going to affect your health and productivity. Here are the damages it can cause when consumed through different routes:
Cannabis through mouth/ oral route:
Consuming cannabis through the oral route can result in problems like anxiety, hypertension, psychosis, and irregular heart rhythms. It can also affect your appetite eventually. Further, withdrawal from cannabis can also have adverse effects like swelling, appetite loss, vomiting, nausea, anxiety, etc. All these mental and physical conditions can have a bad impact on your productivity at the workplace.
Cannabis sprays:
The cannabis sprays used by some people have various side effects. They can cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, dry mouth, and paranoid thinking. These are prescription-only sprays in the US. Still, if you get a hang of using it regularly, the side effects can have an indirect effect on productivity at the workplace.
Cannabis inhalation:
Vaping or smoking cannabis can damage your windpipe. You can gradually develop problems like wheezing and coughing. It can cause breathing difficulties, soreness, windpipe irritation, headache, nausea and even paranoia. Smoking cannabis can also damage your nervous system and lead to anxiety, psychosis and other mental illnesses. And this can also lead to a decline in productivity.
Why is cannabis testing important for employers?
Employers should never discard cannabis testing while they go for pre-employment or random drug testing. Even if cannabis has been shown to have no effect on the worker’s productivity if consumed after working hours, it is necessary to get the employees tested for cannabis consumption. Here are the reasons for the same:
- You never know if an employee is always consuming cannabis post work. He/she might also go for it before or during the working hours. It’s risky to eliminate cannabis testing from your drug testing program.
- Even if the employee consumes cannabis post-work, it can still affect the productivity in long run. It can also cause damage to your work environment. The worker can encourage cannabis consumption among other members of the staff.
How can you benefit from cannabis consumption testing?
Drug and alcohol testing can be conducted at various stages of employment. Employers can check employees for drug and alcohol consumption pre-employment or anytime when they feel suspicious. As mentioned above, consuming cannabis post-work does not affect the productivity of employees but it can lead to long term damage for the organization.
Hence, it is advisable to carry out cannabis testing along with drug testing. Here are the benefits of getting your employees tested for cannabis consumption regularly:
- You can improve the health of your employees by prohibiting them from using cannabis even after office hours.
- You can prevent your employees from the health risks that may arise due to cannabis consumption.
- You can inhibit the drugs like cannabis from entering your workplace
- Cannabis testing keeps a check on overall cannabis consumption at the workplace and leads to a safe and peaceful work environment.
- You can improve the overall productivity at your company by keeping a check on the cannabis intake by workers.
- You can check if your employees are still consuming cannabis post-rehab
- You prevent the workplace hazards or accidents that can result from cannabis consumption by your workers.
Conclusion
Although some studies have noted no change in productivity when cannabis is consumed post working hours, it is advisable to test your workers for cannabis regularly under your drug testing programs. The US drug testing guidelines also include testing cannabis consumption while conducting workplace drug testing.