Pot off limits for cops, but school boards treating it like alcohol

By Jeremy Appel on October 23, 2018.

jappel@medicinehatnews.com @MHNJeremyAppel

While the Medicine Hat Police Service is outright prohibiting cannabis consumption among its officers, the city, as well as public and Catholic school boards, are taking a less strict approach for their workers.

MHPS chief Andy McGrogan says the ban, which has the support of the local police association, is a precautionary measure that may not necessarily be permanent.

“We’re not rigidly steadfast in this,” he said. “We’ll see where the science takes us in relation to this and where the law takes us.”

Although officers are permitted to consume alcohol when they’re off duty, McGrogan said cannabis stays in the body longer.

“We expect our members to be fit for duty when they attend, and they need to be able to attend duty immediately if we need them,” he said. “Right now … we don’t know enough to just say, ‘Hey. Just do your thing and we’ll hope you’re good for duty. That’s not good enough.”

This doesn’t mean police officers will be subject to random drug testing, the chief added.

“We’re going to use the same employer standards that a lot of people use, so if there’s a reasonable suspicion that someone is using, then they’ll be tested,” said McGrogan.

Medicine Hat Public School Division superintendent Mark Davidson says the board will have an “identical” policy for cannabis use as for alcohol consumption.

“Staff are able to use a legal substance away from work, so long as that use doesn’t impact their ability to serve,” he said.

If an administrator suspects staff are getting high on the job, “then they would address that with the individual directly.”

This policy, which outlines more specific steps supervisors can take if they believe a worker is using cannabis at work, will be brought to the MHPSD board for a vote at its Oct. 9 meeting.

The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education is pursuing a similar course of action for its employees, according to associate superintendent Hugh Lehr.

“Our focus and expectation in the school district have always been and continue to be that employees cannot come to work under the influence of drugs, alcohol or intoxicants,” said Lehr.

The MHCBE is in the process of developing an administrative procedure with regards to drug and alcohol use, he added.

The City of Medicine Hat’s policy on drugs and alcohol in the workplace says, “Employees have the responsibility to report to work capable of performing their tasks productively and safely.

“The use of drugs and alcohol can have serious adverse impacts on their ability to perform their tasks safely in the workplace.”

Commissioner of corporate services Brian Mastel says the city hasn’t adopted any cannabis-specific policy, but has its ear to the ground.

“We continue to monitor closely how other employers are addressing and evaluating internally what will appropriately ensure continued safe and reliable deliver of services,” Mastel wrote in an e-mail.

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