Bimonthly News Update

PDFNJ will be hosting a FREE webinar Thursday, October 29, at 11am - "Childhood Trauma: What Are We Seeing? What Can We Do to Prevent Substance Use & Abuse?". This webinar is open to any NJ business, so we strongly encourage you to share this information with business associates. If you have any questions, please contact Bill Lillis, Drug-Free Workplace Coordinator, at bill@drugfreenj.org or 862-253-6808.

• New Jersey cannabis regulators prepare for 2020 legalization initiative

“We are absolutely thinking about the transition to recreational,”… said Jeffrey Brown, an assistant commissioner with the New Jersey Department of Health, the agency responsible for overseeing the state’s Division of Medical Marijuana. 

• What Does the New Jersey Cannabis Ballot Question Actually Mean – and What are the Next Steps?

Cannabis is on the ballot in New Jersey for the November 3, 2020 election (the “Referendum”), but what does that actually mean?

• Disturbing trend’: Positive drug tests for U.S. workers at 16-year high

U.S. workers in 2019 tested positive for illicit drugs at the highest rate in 16 years – an uptick that could continue this year as a symptom of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an annual analysis by lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

• Do cannabis ‘hangovers’ impair you at work?

Do the effects of cannabis mess with cognitive ability for days after use and are urine tests the best way to sniff-out at risk employees?

• Workers’ Comp Issues when cannabis is legal

As the number of legal cannabis states increases, workers and employers are taking note of the impact on workplace injury claims

• NSC Urges House to Consider Safety Implications of Cannabis Bill

The National Safety Council (NSC), the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), and 20 other safety organizations urged House members to hold hearings on the workplace and public safety implications of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 (H.R. 3884).

• What Marijuana Laws Mean for Your Restaurant Business

Although still illegal at the federal level, marijuana usage is becoming largely legalized at the state level. 

• Telemedicine for drug addiction treatment: A research roundup and 5 reporting tips 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, deaths from drug overdoses have reportedly surged, even as a relaxing of federal restrictions and a rapid shift by treatment providers has led to an explosion in telemedicine options for receiving help with substance use disorders.

We encourage you to share this bimonthly news update with your colleagues and business associates to stay informed on the issues regarding establishing and maintaining a drug-free workplace. The sign-up link below is for anyone interested in becoming a new member of Drugs Don’t Work in NJ and to directly receive these free updates.