OHRC releases new policy guidance on human rights and cannabis

Toronto – Today, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a new policy statement on cannabis and Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

“The legalization of cannabis is a new reality in Ontario,” said OHRC Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane. “But while cannabis laws are changing, this policy statement reminds us that human rights protections for people with disabilities or addictions are the same.”

The policy statement provides guidance on the human rights implications around cannabis use at work, in housing, and public places. It also offers steps for determining when there is a duty to accommodate.

See also:

• Questions and answers on cannabis and Ontario’s Human Rights Code
• Policy on drug and alcohol testing (2016)
• Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability (2016)
• Policy on preventing discrimination based on mental health disabilities and addictions (2014)
• Policy on competing human rights (2012)

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Media contact:
Vanessa Tamburro
Issues and Media Relations Officer
Communications & Issues Management
Ontario Human Rights Commission
416-314-4528 | vanessa.tamburro@ohrc.on.ca

Cannabis will be legal in Ontario on October 17. We’ve launched NEW policy guidance on human rights, #CannabisAndTheCode. Get the latest: https://t.co/ysV6fjjruY pic.twitter.com/uTr8X5bKqz

— The OHRC (@OntHumanRights) October 11, 2018