February 2020
February 2020
ACS South Jersey Local Section Meeting
February 2020 Dinner Meeting
February 25th, 2020
A Sensible Approach to Workplace/Highway Impairment Testing for Cannabis Use
Russ Phifer
WC Environmental, LLC
National Registry of Certified Chemists
Gourmet Italian Cuisine & Pizzeria
324 S Pitney Road
Galloway, NJ 08205
Agenda:
5:30 – 6:30 PM- Social Hour
6:30-7:30 PM- Dinner
7:30 PM- Seminar
$25 for members and guests
$10 for students
(check or cash accepted)
Abstract:
The traditional approach to determining if an individual is impaired by cannabis use in the workplace or on the highways is drug testing. The $4 Billion drug testing industry certainly supports this approach; many employers test for cannabis prior to hiring, do random testing during employment, and also test after a workplace accident. Unfortunately, the dose response relationship is not at all consistent among cannabis users, and drug tests are not an effective means of determining impairment. Unlike alcohol, which is “hydrophilic,” cannabis is “lipophilic,” meaning that it is stored in the fatty tissues of the body. This characteristic means that cannabis compounds, including the psychoactive THC, store and are detectable long term, up to a month or longer of abstinence, as THC leaches into the bloodstream from fatty tissues. Blood plasma levels and impairment vary greatly in subjects given the same dose.
This presentation will explain the advantages of impairment testing vs. drug testing, and develop the idea that Standardized Field Sobriety Tests are a far preferable way to determine impairment.
Location:
The February meeting will be held at Gourmet Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria, located at 324 S Pitney Road in Galloway, NJ 08205. It is conveniently located near the AC Expressway and the Garden State Parkway. Directions via Google Maps can accessed by clicking this link, or by calling the restaurant (609) 652-1398.
Dinner Selections:
Pasta Primavera (Vegetarian)
Chicken Pesto
Please reserve your attendance and meal selection using the Doodle Poll found at this link by February 20th at 5:30PM.
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