Marijuana in the Worplace

As the federal government proceeds with legalization and regulation of cannabis, it is important for employers to understand the implications for the workplace, both in terms of medical and non-medical usage. Join us for a discussion from a panel of experts offering perspectives on occupational health and safety, legal and employee benefits considerations for employers. 

THIS SESSION IS FULL - WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT A FUTURE EVENT

Halifax: Compass Room, Casino NS, April 12^th 

Registration & Buffet Lunch: 11:45am – 12: 30pm
Presentations: 12:30pm to 2:00pm

Presenters:

Matthew Burnstein, MD
Carolyn Christie, Medavie Blue Cross
Rick Dunlop, Stewart McKelvey 

Registration Fees  

Speaker Bios:

Matthew Burnstein, MD

Dr. Matthew Burnstein attended Dalhousie Medical School, graduating in 1983. After completing his internship at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Matthew returned to Halifax, where he obtained further training in Occupational Medicine. Over the last thirty years Matthew has provided Occupational Medical Services to employers and insurers across Canada. Matthew has served as the Occupational Medical Consultant for a range of employers/industries including Canada Post, the Shaw Group, the Capital District Health Authority, the City of Halifax, Kirkland Lake Goldmine, Medavie, Manulife, Loblaws  and his personal favourites: Hershey’s Chocolates and Labatt Brewing Company.
From 2006 to 2014, Matthew served as the Chief Medical Officer for Bell Aliant Regional Communications – Atlantic Canada’s largest telecommunications company. While at Bell Aliant, Matthew has also served as the Director of Learning and Development and, subsequently, Benefits. Matthew is a Senior Diplomat with the American Board of Disability Examiners and has been certified as an Independent Medical Examiner.

With respect to Drugs and Alcohol in the workplace, Matthew was among the first physicians in Canada to be certified as a Medical Review Officer (MRO) in 1995. He has developed drug and alcohol programs for numerous employers and has reviewed over one thousand positive drug tests. Increasingly, he is asked to assess the impact of drug use (most commonly marijuana) on work activities.

Matthew recently moved to Toronto where he continues to work as an occupational health physician and as a family physician.

Carolyn Christie   
Product Portfolio Manager - Drug Management Solutions 
Medavie Blue Cross

Carolyn Christie has been in the group insurance industry for over 20 years and brings a wealth of experience from a variety of areas, including underwriting, sales, service and operations. Carolyn has been with Medavie Blue Cross since 2002, and for the last five years has been assisting Sales and Service with our clients’ drug benefit portfolios. Focusing on our drug management approaches, Carolyn’s responsibilities also include ensuring products and services are up-to-date and marketable, and providing training on our drug product offering.

Rick Dunlop
Partner
Stewart McKelvey

Rick Dunlop is a Partner with Stewart McKelvey's Nova Scotia Labour and Employment Group.  Rick has a diverse management side labour and employment law practice in which he provides practical solutions and representation on all workplace legal issues.  In particular, Rick often represents employers in human rights complaints, union certification applications in the construction and non-construction industry sectors, and wrongful dismissal actions.

Rick regularly appears before all Nova Scotia courts and labour and employment related tribunals, including the Nova Scotia Labour Board, Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.   Rick has also successfully represented an employer before the Supreme Court of Canada in an employment law case.

Rick consistently speaks and writes on labour and employment law related matters.  Rick has been externally rated as Best Lawyers: Labour and Employment Law in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.  Rick is a current member of the Canadian Association of Counsel for Employers (CACE).