Companies should decide on their ganja policy, says PSOJ president

President of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) William Mahfood says despite the recent decriminalisation of small quantities of marijuana, he believes companies should be able to make their own decisions regarding their drug policies.

Some organisations routinely do drug screening for new employees prior to confirmation, and persons can be denied employment if prohibited drugs are detected in their bodies.

Additionally, some companies also carry out random drug testing of employees, with serious penalties and termination for failed drug tests.

Justice Minister Senator, Mark Golding has said companies should review their policies to reflect the change in legislation.

However, the PSOJ president says ultimately, the decision on whether to test for the drug should be made by individual companies based on their needs.

Meanwhile, President of the Jamaica Employer’s Federation, David Wan also believes this decision to screen for ganja should be made by companies.

He says it is unlikely there will be a single policy which will apply to all Jamaican companies.

However, Wan says there is a need to collectively review the legislation, especially in terms of the rights of employers and employees.