12932: Work-Related Implications of After-Work Cannabis Use

Claims regarding the implications of employee cannabis use vary considerably even though little empirical research explores cannabis as it relates to workplace outcomes. Drawing from substance use theories and findings from the epidemiology literature, we develop a conceptual model that depicts after-work cannabis use as a useful mechanism to help employees preserve cognitive resources in the evening and engage at work the next day. We predict moderated indirect effects from after-work cannabis use to cognitive engagement at work the following day, and test this model using daily diary data from a sample of full-time employees. Results indicate after-work cannabis use interacts with daily workload and a between-person performance-related cannabis use motive (i.e., a three-way interaction) to predict next-day cognitive engagement. Daily cognitive engagement related to changes in daily self-reported task performance. Collectively, results suggest that theories as well as organizational policies on employee substance use should be updated to more fully appreciate the potential influence of after-work cannabis use on important workplace outcomes.

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