OAKVILLE, ON – The challenges of the increasing use of medical marijuana due to recent federal regulatory changes and the implications for the safety sensitive trucking industry are the focus of an upcoming seminar.

The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) will host on Oct. 22 a well-known physician in the occupational health field to help employers address complex workplace problems created by Canada’s evolving medical marijuana industry.

Dr. Barry Kurtzer, medical director and chief medical review officer for the medical testing service DriverCheck, will explore the issues and provide guidance to employers during the seminar, “Medical Marijuana and the Workplace.” Dr. Kurtzer is a physician with more than 30 years of experience providing occupational health programs to employers, according to the PMTC.

According to group, with the transportation industry making up approximately 5 percent of Canada’s workforce and authorized use of medical marijuana expected to explode, more than 22,000 commercial motor vehicle operators in Canada could be medically authorized to use marijuana by 2024, leading to serious implications for safety.

This session will cover:

• How Canada’s federal medical marijuana regulatory changes could impact the transportation industry;
• Medical qualification to drive issues as per the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA);
• The health benefits and risks of using medical marijuana, including impact of medical marijuana on driving and workplace safety;
• Unique considerations, including case examples, of workers in safety-sensitive jobs who use medical marijuana; and
• “The Game Plan for Employers,” including considerations around policy, supervisor training and job physical demands analysis/safety impact evaluations.

Immediately following that seminar, three prominent private fleet managers will participate in a general roundtable discussion about other industry challenges and best practices.

“Both of these sessions will deliver valuable information to any business involved in private trucking,” said Mike Millian, PMTC president. “Our members are well known for their frank and open observations about the state of the industry, and for sharing the best practices that they successfully employ every day.”

For more information or to register for this session, contact Vanessa Cox at info@pmtc.ca or call 905-827-0587.