Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
The Two Sides to the Legalization of Cannabis
In preparation for the country’s legalization of cannabis slated for July of this year, cannabis producers across Canada are positioning themselves within what is expected to be a booming market. In 2017, the number of Canadians looking for jobs in the cannabis...
Random Testing Ordered to Stop for Teck Resources
As of January 23rd, British Columbia coal mine company Teck Resources Ltd. has been ordered by arbitrator John Kinzie to cease its random drug and alcohol testing of employees. "[Teck] apparently pulled names out of a hat somehow and would select people and then force...
Health Canada proposes switching to mainly pharmaceutical funding
In October of last year, Health Canada proposed raising the fees it charges to drug manufacturers for new medicines introduced into the market. Historically, Health Canada has used these fees to fund 50% of its operating costs in regulating prescription medication,...
Lack of Information Worsens Opioid Crisis
As drug use deaths across Canada create a nationwide opioid crisis, many Canadians still don’t know how to help in the case of an overdose. In its “Opioid Awareness” survey, Statistics Canada has reported that while 4,000 people in Canada died of opioid overdose in...
Legalization of Cannabis Presents Conundrum for Canadian Military
Questions are arising in the Canadian army, navy, air force, and special forces as the July 2018 legalization of cannabis looms. Since the Spring of 2017, military experts have been assessing their drug and alcohol policies in advance of the legislation that will see...
Canadian companies worry about hazy rules around legal cannabis
Without a clear, legal definition of impairment in advance of the legalization of cannabis slated for July of this year, confusion has arisen among workplace policy writers, particularly in sectors that are not classified as “safety-sensitive.” Concern is being raised...
Employee Reinstated after Positive Drug Test
On January 3rd, Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court Justice Rosalie McGrath upheld an arbitration decision to reinstate an employee who was fired after failing a drug test when a series of manifest errors occurred at the Hibernia offshore platform. The court...
Edmonton Police Brace for Cannabis Legalization
With the looming legalization date for cannabis set for July of 2018, police forces around the country are preparing to enforce cannabis-impaired driving laws. With 40 to 50 per cent of its impaired fatalities linked to drugs, and many resulting from a combination of...
Toronto police chief considering drug testing for officers
After last year’s fentanyl overdose death of Const. Michael Thompson, 37, an officer working undercover in the Toronto Police Force drug squad, Police Chief Mark Saunders is considering drug testing for the city’s officers. “I don’t want to lose any officers to...
