Office-illy stoned? Cannabis consumption at work on the rise: study

More South Africans are consuming cannabis while working, a recent study has found.

The Cannabis Expo will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg this week and organisers said a study conducted by them found that 36.7% of users consume cannabis at work.

Of those surveyed, 81% said they consume cannabis edibles, while 76.7% said they experience positive health benefits from using the drug.

Since legislation changed in 2018, 63.3% said their use had increased and 93.3% believe legalisation significantly benefits the economy.

“It’s always fascinating to see how people’s attitudes towards cannabis are evolving year-on-year as legislation opens up,” said the expo's director, Silas Howarth.

Howarth added that important discussions concerning cannabis use in the workplace need to take place and will be discussed at the event.

“It will be interesting to see the options organisations have to mitigate risks. We find most cannabis users find positive health and other benefits, and in many cases say it improves their productivity.”

Howarth noted that employers may struggle to accurately test and prohibit workplace use.

Advocate Tertius Wessels, legal director of Strata-g Labour Solutions told TimesLIVE previously the workplace was "not considered a private space" and was not protected by legislation.

“Being under the influence of mind-altering substances at work renders the employee unfit for duty and can be dangerous, especially for those who operate complex machinery or drive vehicles.

“The issue with cannabis is that it can stay in the system for several hours, even days. This is worrying, especially from an occupational health and safety perspective,” Wessels said.