Wild Rose School Division implements new cannabis legislation

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The Wild Rose employee alcohol, substance abuse or chemical dependency policy applies to all employees, volunteers and contractors within the division. It’s described as being committed to promoting a safe and healthy workplace, free from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, clearly defining abuse, addiction, alcohol, controlled substances, drugs, employee, volunteers, contractors, prescription medications, under the influence and workplace.

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The policy also outlines a number of suggested steps to assist employees with substance abuse problems, as well as the duties and obligations of employees. Drug testing, refusal to test and accommodating medical marijuana in the workplace is also addressed.

Deputy Superintendent Greg Wedman says the division’s new administrative procedures regarding legalized cannabis have been in the works for roughly two years.

“We do have a fairly strict smoke-free policy within all our division property that includes vaping as well, so we want to counter the cannabis and the vaping,” he explains. “The big piece is going to be making sure that we communicate well with our students and our parents and to put them at ease that we’re on top of it and that we are keeping students safe. A lot of the misconceptions out there when people first think of it is they put it more in line with smoking than they do with alcohol.”

Wedman says their policy on cannabis will be much the same as alcohol.

“It’s fairly straight forward, alcohol is not allowed on school property, the same would be with cannabis,” states Wedman. “Just because a student, even if they were 18 and allowed to have alcohol, if they went home at lunch, by law we do have our own rules that would certainly restrict that to be able to come to school under the influence. It also includes cannabis as well as abuse of prescription drugs too.”

Essentially, Wedman describes the implementation of their new administrative procedures as business as usual.

“There is no place at school for those substances, much like other controlled substances,” states Wedman. “School is a place of learning and we want to keep our students safe and create an environment and atmosphere where they can have success.”

He encourages parents and students to speak with their school principal if they have any questions or concerns regarding the new cannabis-related administrative procedures.