Best Practices: Dealing with marijuana, opioid use

WASHINGTON — Marijuana and opioid use has been an acknowledged problem for many years in just about every industry, including tire retailing and auto service.

However, sometimes the problem can become apparent in startling ways. Ask Dick Nordness, executive director of the Northwest Tire Dealers Association (NWTDA).

Marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use in Oregon and Washington, which the NWTDA represents. However, what is legal in society and what is permissible in the workplace are two different things.

According to Mr. Nordness, an NWTDA member with multiple locations published advertisements for technicians at one of his stores. Five applicants were interviewed.

"Both the owner and the store manager agreed these applicants were well-qualified," he said. "But four of them failed the routine test for drug use, and the fifth one said voluntarily that he wouldn't pass."

The fifth candidate was apparently the only one who knew that marijuana lingers in the body for as long as 30 days, according to Mr. Nordness.

"Out of five applicants, they got nothing," he said.

Despite the pervasiveness of drug use in the U.S., the organizations contacted for this article said they do not have best practices in place to address marijuana and opioid use. Some, however, are considering them.

"Our board has talked about the issue, but we have not come to any conclusions," Mr. Nordness said. "We do consider this a problem, but we're at the beginning stages of taking a look at this."

Roy Littlefield IV, director of government affairs for the Tire Industry Association, said the same of TIA.

"We are currently working on a best practice that involves this workplace problem, and we plan to discuss it at our next board meeting," Mr. Littlefield said.

TIA is gathering information from all its dealers to gain insight into their current business practices, he said.

"Many TIA members have very strict guidelines and do significant drug testing, especially since many are in the transportation business," Mr. Littlefield said.

The growing momentum for marijuana legalization has created a crazy quilt of laws within the U.S.

There are eight states where marijuana use is legal — Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. It also is legal in the District of Columbia, although Congress has blocked commercial recreational sales within the district.

In other states, marijuana laws vary widely. Most states now allow medical marijuana use, though some allow only non-psychoactive cannabinoid (CBD) oil.

In no state is possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal use a felony, though Alabama allows a misdemeanor count only for the first offense.

Opioids, which have long been legal by prescription, present an exponentially more serious problem than marijuana. According to a 2016 report from the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 1.9 million people in 2013 either abused or were dependent on opioid painkillers.

"Across specialties, physicians believe that opioid pain medication can be effective in controlling pain, that addiction is a common consequence of prolonged use, and that long-term opioid therapy often is overprescribed for patients with chronic non-cancer pain," the CDC said.

In January 2009, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a list of solutions for workplaces to prevent and treat employee substance abuse.

The solutions recommended by the SAMHSA were as follows:

• Implement drug-free workplace and other written substance abuse policies.

• Publicize those policies and reiterate that drug and alcohol use are unacceptable in the workplace.

• Communicate information about the health risks of alcohol and drug use through company websites and health and wellness initiatives.

• Educate employees through company wellness programs, employee assistance programs and work/life programs.

• Incorporate substance abuse information in workplace wellness strategies, such as learning about nutrition, exercise and seat-belt use.

• Offer health benefits that offer comprehensive coverage for substance use disorders, including aftercare and counseling.

• Ensure that company wellness programs, employee assistance programs and work/life programs provide education, screening and follow-up services for employees' drug and alcohol problems.

• Respect employees' privacy regarding their substance abuse problems.