Consuming marijuana after work has no impact on job performance, according to new study

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Using cannabis on one’s own time doesn’t affect them when they return to work

The culture and aspects revolving around cannabis are getting increased attention from more people who are seeking to either debunk or confirm all those stigmas that have been attributed to cannabis use for decades. Now that marijuana has become legal in many states, the subject of cannabis in working spaces has come to light, and there are many people who believe that a person who smokes or uses marijuana could not be able to perform at his or her job well. However, a new study brings that matter to question, as it suggests that, if used at an adequate time of day, consuming cannabis has no impact on a person’s job performance.

The study was conducted by researchers from San Diego and Auburn Universities, who surveyed 281 employees and their supervisors. The information collected was related to the time in which workers use cannabis products and whether those managers notice a drop in performance. Overall, the results show that depending on the activity and amount, consuming cannabis before and during a working shift decreases performance, but, for those people who consume cannabis after working hours, there is no impact on job performance the next day.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to research cannabis usage in relation to workplace behaviors in nearly 20 years,” Dr. Jeremy Bernerth of San Diego State said in a university statement. The Group & Organization Management study examined three major areas of work performance, such as how well a person handles job requirements, willingness to help colleagues and counterproductive work behavior. Among those workers who did use cannabis before or during work, managers noticed more impact on the willingness to help colleagues and counterproductive work behavior areas, but no significant changes if marijuana was used after work.