Substance use and work
With the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada, questions have been raised about patterns of cannabis use at work, the use of cannabis to treat work-related injuries, and the implications of such uses for work productivity, workplace health and safety and work disability management. IWH research examines these questions, as well as questions about the use and effectiveness of narcotics or opioids to treat pain, including pain associated with work injuries, and patterns of opioid-related harms among workers.
Featured
Research Highlights
Severe pain, not pressure to return to work or lack of accommodation offer, linked to opioid use post-injury
An IWH study found that among a group of injured workers in Ontario, those who experienced severe pain were more likely to use opioids than those who had no or only mild pain.
Published: February 12, 2025
Issue Briefing
Cannabis use by workers before and after legalization in Canada
Since 2018, when non-medical use of cannabis was legalized in Canada, a pair of Institute for Work & Health (IWH) studies was conducted to explore the implications of this change for workplaces. This briefing sums up their findings.
Published: December 5, 2024
At Work article
At-work use of cannabis reported by 1 in 12 workers—no change since legalization
In follow-up study of cannabis use before and after legalization in Canada, IWH research team found no increase in at-work or daily use of cannabis. Still, one in 12 said they used cannabis just before work, during work or during work breaks.
Published: April 2020
IWH in the media
Where does the use of cannabis now stand in the eyes of the workplace?
Has cannabis use and perception about workplace cannabis use changed since legalization? That’s the question Dr. Nancy Carnide and a team at the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) is exploring through annual surveys of Canadian workers. Angela Gismondi reports on the preliminary results, which Carnide shared at the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) Leadership Day.
Published: Daily Commercial News, March 2020
IWH in the media
Addressing mental health, substance abuse at work requires new approaches: Experts
A panel of professionals offered tips for dealing with mental illness and substance use disorder in the workplace at the recent OGCA Leadership Conference. On the panel, Dr. Nancy Carnide, a scientist with the Institute for Work & Health who is conducting a survey on cannabis in the workplace, said that employers need to look at how the workplace may be contributing to substance use.
Published: Daily Commercial News, March 2020
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
Have cannabis use and perceptions about workplace use changed since legalization?
Are workers using and thinking differently about cannabis at work now that the non-medical use of cannabis is legal? A team at the Institute for Work & Health led by Associate Scientist Dr. Nancy Carnide is answering this question through annual surveys of Canadian workers, asking about their use and understanding of, as well as their perceptions about, cannabis at work. In this presentation, Dr. Carnide shares early results from her comparison of workers’ pre- and post-legalization responses to questions about cannabis at work.
Published: March 2020
IWH in the media
IWH takes deep dive into the marijuana Pandora’s box
A team at the Toronto-based Institute of Work and Health (IWH) is doing a deep dive into the issue, though, that might yield valuable data for the industry. Findings from the work will help identify gaps in knowledge, problematic perceptions and risky use patterns, Grant Cameron reports.
Published: Daily Commercial News, January 2020
Journal article
Journal article
Despite fears, use of cannabis at work remained stable after legalization: study
Published: OOHNA Journal, January 2020
Infographic
Infographic
Cannabis use and the Canadian workplace (2019)
From 2018 to 2021, the Institute for Work & Health is conducting a yearly survey of Canadian workers about cannabis to understand how the legalization of non-medical cannabis in October 2018 is affecting workers’ cannabis use, and affecting the beliefs of both users and non-users about cannabis use at work. The first survey was conducted in June 2018, before the legalization of non-medical cannabis four months later. This infographic shares some of what was learned.
Published: October 2019
IWH Speaker Series
IWH Speaker Series
The link between workplace injury and fatality risks and the use of substances affecting the central nervous system
Prescription and recreational drugs that act on the central nervous system can have many adverse effects, including cognitive and psychomotor impairment. An IWH systematic review has looked into the link between workplace injury and fatality risks and the use of such substances—including opioids, benzodiazepines and cannabis. In this presentation, Dr. Nancy Carnide shares findings from that systematic review.
Published: May 2019
Project
Project
Toking 9 to 5: Workplace cannabis use and perceptions among Canadian workers
An IWH research team is following up pre-legalization survey of workers about their use and perceptions of marijuana at work with a post-legalization survey that will determine if use patterns and perceptions have changed.
Status: Ongoing
IWH in the media
Canadians need to be educated on cannabis in the workplace, new study says
Research is limited on the impact marijuana use has on productivity and safety at work. Now, organizations need to revisit their employment policies. Sophie Nicholls Jones reports, with findings from IWH's study of at-work cannabis use and attitudes.
Published: CPA Canada, November 2018