A: Workplace marijuana use is on the rise and causes impairment, which means skills such as reaction time, divided attention, cognitive performance, route planning, decision-making, and risk-taking are negatively affected. One of the most significant impairment studies showed that both frequent and occasional marijuana users were impaired during a simulated driving task for up to 4.5 hours after smoking cannabis. (1)
Employees who test positive for marijuana have 55% more industrial accidents, as well as 85% more injuries and 75% more absenteeism (2,3,4)
- 3.6x more likely to be involved in an accident (4).
- 5x more likely to file a workers’ compensation claim (4).
- The average cost of a workers’ compensation claim is $41,353 (5).
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Marcotte TD, et al. Driving Performance and Cannabis Users’ Perception of Safety: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 1;79(3):201-209. Link
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John Howard M.D., et al. Cannabis and Work: Implications, Impairment, and the Need for Further Research. June 15, 2020. Link
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NIDA Report: Marijuana. Link
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Backer, T.E. Strategic Planning for Workplace Drug Abuse Programs, p. 4. NIDA. Rockville, MD. Link
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National Safety Council. Injury Facts. Link.