Tackling Drugs in the Workplace

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Tackling Drugs in the Workplace

• New Challenges

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New decade new challenges

• Medical Marijuana
• Prescription Drug Issues
• Specimen Validity

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Medical Marijuana - the wonder drug?
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A few Marijuana facts

• Marijuana (grass, pot, weed) is the common name
  for a drug made from the plant Cannabis saliva.
• The main mind-altering (psychoactive) ingredient
  in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), but
  more than 400 other chemicals also are in the
  plant.
• When smoked, the effects start within minutes and
  peak in 10-30 minutes. Usually the high is over
  in about 3 hours.
• When ingested, such as eating a brownie laced
  with marijuana, the effects are slower to peak
  and last for a longer period of time.
• Numerous studies have shown that marijuana has no
  medical value that cant be met more effectively
  by legal drugs

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Marijuana and Driving

• Driving experiments show that marijuana affects a
  wide range of skills needed for safe driving --
  thinking and reflexes are slowed, making it hard
  for drivers to respond to sudden, unexpected
  events.
• A driver's ability to "track" (stay in lane)
  through curves, to brake quickly, and to maintain
  speed and the proper distance between cars is
  affected. Research shows that these skills may be
  impaired for at least 4-6 hours after smoking a
  single marijuana cigarette, long after the "high"
  is gone.
• If a person drinks alcohol, along with using
  marijuana, the risk of an accident greatly
  increases.

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Replacing the noontime martini
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Arizonas Medical Marijuana Law

• Arizona became the 15th state to approve
  marijuana to be used by individuals who have a
  debilitating medical condition such as cancer,
  glaucoma, HIV, hepatitus C, Crohns disease,
  severe and chronic pain.
• Arizona is the 1st state with specific employer
  language regarding discrimination against medical
  marijuana users.

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Arizonas Medical Marijuana Law

• An employer may not discriminate against an
  employee who is a medical marijuana cardholder
  unless
• The employee used, possessed or was impaired by
  marijuana on the premises of the place of
  employment or during the hours of employment.
• Employers may take action against medical
  marijuana users if the failure to do so would
  cause an employer to lose a monetary or licensing
  benefit under Federal Law or Regulation
• Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulation
  does not authorize medical marijuana under a
  state law to be a valid medical explanation.

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Medical Marijuana Drug Free Workplace
Programs

• Carefully review and revise if needed your drug
  and alcohol policies. Determine with legal
  counsel whether the federal exemption will apply.
  
• Note most contracts that are funded with
  federal funds usually have an agreement to comply
  with the Federal Drug-Free Workplace Act.
• Train supervisors to recognize impairment and
  document appropriately. Use the drug test as
  confirmation
• Coordinate testing policies with your MRO and
  testing laboratory

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Medical Marijuana Impairment

• Train Supervisors to know the signs
• Performance indicators
• Excessive absenteeism or tardiness
• Impaired ability to concentrate and retain
  information
• Increased minor accidents, mistakes, reports of
  theft
• Physical indicators
• Bloodshot eyes
• Dry mouth
• Smell like marijuana

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Synthetic Marijuana
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Synthetic Marijuana

• Spice/K2 is a substance which has been marketed
  as incense since 2006. The incense is sprayed
  with JWH-018 or similar synthetic THC.
• Produces a high similar to marijuana often more
  quickly / more intense - with longer effect
• DEA enacted temporary ban of 5 of the chemicals
  used to create Spice.
• In Arizona, Governor Brewer signed law which
  classifies 10 chemicals that can be sprayed on
  the herb as dangerous drugs under state law and
  therefore banned.

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Bath Salts

• Products may contain synthetic stimulants called
  MDPV, CFT, and mephedrone.
• Effects are similar to cocaine or MDMA
• Side effects from ingesting bath salts include
  seizures and paranoia

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Changing Patterns of Drug Misuse

• From 1997 to 2006, retail sales of opioid pain
  medications increased dramatically
• Americans are 4 of the worlds population, but
  consume 80 of the worlds opioids
• Between 1998 and 2009, hydrocodone moved from
  13th to 1st most commonly prescribed medication
  in the US

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Prescription Drug Issues

• "What many people forget is that prescription
  drugs have the potential to be just as harmful as
  street drugs, and that most of today's illegal
  drugs were once marketed and sold as
  pharmaceuticals." -- Gary W. Smith, Executive
  Director of Narconon Arrowhead.

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Prescription Drug Issues

• The rate of employees testing positive for
  prescription opiates rose by more than 40 from
  2005-2010
• In Arizona
• Marijuana positives are No. 1 of drug positives
• Opioids are No. 2
• Benzodiazepines are No. 3

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Prescription Drug Issues

• Testing for prescription drugs identifies a lot
  of use that is unapproved, but not necessarily
  illicit
• Your employee had a root canal and her roomate
  gave her a Vicodin.
• Your employee test positive for oxycodone. He
  has a 3-year old prescription.
• Your employee just returned from a trip to
  Cancun. He said the clinic gave him codeine when
  he burst his ear drum while scuba diving.
• Your employee uses on-line pharmacies without a
  prescription because it is less expensive.

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Prescription Drug Issues

• Workplace testing for prescription drugs as well
  as illicit drugs should be done for reasons of
  safety, security, and job performance.
• Check your testing panel to be sure that it
  includes hydrocodone and oxycodone (not just the
  standard 5 Panel).
• Work closely with your MRO

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Specimen Validity

• A recent Google search on Beat the Drug Test
  gave 820,000 results in 0.14 seconds

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Specimen Validity

• Suspicious result There are four basic terms
  we use to report unusual specimens
• Dilute
• Substituted
• Adulterated
• Invalid

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Specimen Validity

• Dilution involve ingestion of large volumes of
  water immediately prior to providing a urine
  specimen.  A number of products, all which
  accomplish essentially the same thing, are
  available in most health food stores and on the
  Internet.  Dilution is easily determined by
  initial screening for creatinine and followed up
  with a specific gravity test.
• Specimens are reported as Substituted have
  creatinine and specific gravity values that are
  so diminished that they are not consistent with
  normal human urine.  

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Specimen Validity

• An Adulterated specimen is one that contains a
  substance that is not expected to be present in
  human urine, or contains a substance expected to
  be present but is at a concentration so high that
  it is not consistent with human urine.  
  Adulterated is the term used for a specimen that
  has been altered by the donor in an attempt to
  defeat the drug test.   Many substances can be
  used to adulterate a urine specimen in vitro,
  including common household products, commercial
  chemicals and products developed specifically for
  that purpose.
• An Invalid result is when a specimen appears to
  be adulterated with an unknown oxidant or when it
  is overly dilute but does not meet the federal
  definition of substituted.

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Signs and Symptoms

• Alcohol
• Odor on breath
• Difficulty focusing / eyes glazed over
• Gradual decline in appearance / hygiene
• Increased absenteeism
• Benzodiazepines
• Behaviors like alcohol with no odor

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Signs and Symptoms

• Cocaine
• Extremely dilated pupils
• Excessive activity, difficult to sit still
• Irritable / Nervous
• Talkative, but conversation lacks continuity
• Cannabinoids
• Forgetfulness in conversation
• Bloodshot eyes
• Dry mouth
• Brown residue on fingers

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Signs and Symptoms

• Opioids
• Lethargy, drowsiness
• Constricted pupils
• Frequent doctors visits for pain

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Benefits of Drug-Free Workplace

• Employees depend upon the benefits of drug-free
  workplace policies. They know that these policies
  create safer working conditions and establish
  clear standards for performance.
• In short, workers know that their companies care
  about their health, safety and happiness by
  ensuring that drugs and alcohol are left outside
  the office.

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Contact information

• Sonja Hoppe
• Vice President
• Southwest Laboratories
• 4625 E Cotton Center Blvd
• Phoenix, AZ 85040
• 800-279-0027, ext 111
• sonjahoppe_at_southwestlaboratories.com