Carrie opened the presentation by providing details about the center, explaining it is part of a New York State network of occupational health clinics. There are nine in the entire state, and New York is the only state in the country with this type of clinic network. The center’s goal is to keep employees safe and healthy at work. The center also serves as a worker compensation clinic, and staff also travels to all companies within the center’s catchment area to work with both employers and employees on the subject of workplace safety. The center covers Chautauqua, Catauragus, Allegheny, Erie, and Niagara Counties.

Nellie started her presentation by explaining that the Cannabis Workforce Initiative is collaboration, so to speak, between Cornell University and the Workforce Development Institute. She said she actually does two different programs on cannabis – one (which is what she presented to the club) talks about cannabis in terms of its effects on safety and health in the workplace on workers. But she also provides another program that deals with the occupational safety and health of the cannabis industry, where she’ll talk about the hazards of the cultivation, the processing extraction, the dispensary, all of that from the workplace point of view. She also explained the historical use of the term “marijuana” and how it is rooted in racial prejudice and stereotypes both people of Mexican decent and people of color. As a result, the preferred term to use is now “cannabis” when referring to cannabis sativa.

Nellie then went into detail about how the psychoactive ingredient in Cannabis is THC, and if the plant has more than 3 tenths of a percent of THC, then it is considered to be marijuana, whereas less than that is considered hemp. She said when people are under the influence of THC, they are not perhaps in the best control of their bodies and brains, which can make it a workplace hazard due to the risk of adverse events, such as accidents, injuries, mistakes, errors, and various kinds of effects on productivity. Because of this, employers had historically avoided hiring anyone who tested positive for using cannabis. But because traces of cannabis use can remain in a person’s body for up to a month and a positive result from traditional testing doesn’t necessarily indicate recent use, the government has either prohibited or limited drug testing, unless it's required for a job by either a State or a Federal regulation. Because of this, employers are now seeking alternative testing methods to help determine if someone is under the influence of cannabis while at work. Nellie then provided examples of various tests that are available to help make that determination.

Nellie also provided information on the conflict that arises with cannabis use when it is legal at the state level, but illegal at the federal level. She said cannabis, even when used for medical purposes, hasn’t gone through the regulatory process of the FDA as it would for other federally legal drugs. This means the federal government is still unable to regulate the drug and so it remains illegal at the national level, although some effort is being made in Congress to finally legalize and regulate it. Until then, it is considered illegal and as a result, creates a complicated situation for states like New York that have legalized its use.

The guests also took time fielding several questions from members in the audience. Following the presentation and Q&A sessions, the meeting was adjourned.