According to a released statement from the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA), nurses in the country are wanting an end to cannabis drug testing.
The Association is calling for elimination of pre-employment and random drug testing for nurses and instead use a reliable test for impairment while on the job.
The ACNA’s Board of Directors announced this week that the Policy and Government Affairs (PG&A) committee has released a position statement on workplace drug testing for nurses.
The Chair of the PG&A committee Michael Rochlin stated “It is clear that the war on drugs’ punitive measures such as mandatory cannabis drug testing, can impact critical availability of nurses, especially now during this pandemic.”
“Testing for cannabinoids, especially THC, is not a reliable test for impairment and there is no evidence to support that testing improves workplace performance or decrease workplace accidents,” remarked Eloise Theisen, ACNA President.
Rochlin has noted that the ACNA recognized that many nurses will be looking to cannabis as an option for symptoms such as chronic pain, anxiety and insomnia as the evidence emerges to support cannabinoids for those symptoms. He said, “Drug-testing for cannabis is discriminatory and does not ensure safety.”
Theisen added, “As more and more states move towards legalizing medical and adult use cannabis, employers will need to start reviewing the evidence and make policy changes that are based on evidence and not fear.”
ACNA’s position statement on concurrent cannabis and opiate use is as follows: The American Cannabis Nurses Association supports the monitored and controlled use of cannabis in conjunction with opiate administration for patients (either human or animal) who are suffering from severe pain, intractable pain, severe neuropathy or pain associated with terminal illness. Additionally, any patient on long-term opiate therapy should be evaluated for cannabis therapy to lessen the risk of adverse events associated with opiates. This position is justified by the evidence base of use patterns, the in-vitro research demonstrating the interaction of endocannabinoid receptors with opiate receptors, the potential severity of adverse events associated with long-term opiate use and the ethical responsibility of health care practitioners to advocate on behalf of their patients.
ACNA’s full position statement can be found at its website here: https://www.cannabisnurses.org/acna-position-statements.
