Where Is the Data? Why Apted's Cannabis-at-Work Claim Needs Evidence, Not Anecdote

By Cannabis Fiji

Fact, Opinion, and Public Responsibility

In a recent article published by The Fiji Times, employment lawyer Jon Apted stated that marijuana use at or around work is "the most common workplace problem" he encounters in his professional experience.[1]

If this statement is intended as a personal observation, there is nothing inherently controversial about it. Professionals are entitled to share their experiences.

However, if the statement is being presented as a broader representation of workplace reality in Fiji, then a fundamental question arises:

Where is the evidence?

The article provides no publicly available survey data, workplace prevalence statistics, industry analysis, government reports, or peer-reviewed research demonstrating that cannabis is the most common workplace problem in Fiji.[1]

Without such evidence, the claim remains an anecdotal observation rather than an established fact.

What We Know

There is legitimate scientific evidence that cannabis can impair performance when a person is intoxicated.

Research has identified potential effects including:

reduced concentration,

impaired judgment,

slower reaction times,

diminished motor coordination,

short-term memory disruption.[2]

These risks are particularly important in safety-sensitive occupations such as transportation, heavy machinery operation, construction, and emergency services.[2]

No responsible cannabis advocate should deny these realities.

Workplace safety matters.

Impairment at work—whether caused by cannabis, alcohol, prescription medication, fatigue, stress, illness, or other substances—should be taken seriously.

What We Do Not Know

What we do not currently know is whether cannabis represents Fiji's most common workplace problem.

The available international research does not support making such a conclusion without substantial supporting data.

In fact, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has repeatedly stated that there remains a significant need for further research into cannabis and workplace safety, including prevalence, impairment measurement, injury relationships, and occupational outcomes.[3][4]

NIOSH specifically notes that:

> "Research is needed to explore the incidence of cannabis consumption by industry and occupation, as well as the relationship between cannabis consumption by workers and occupational injuries."[3]

That is not the language of a settled scientific question.

It is the language of an evidence gap.

The Problem with Anecdotal Evidence

Anecdotal experience can be valuable.

However, anecdotal experience is also vulnerable to selection bias.

Employment lawyers often become involved when workplace disputes have already escalated. This means the cases reaching legal professionals may not accurately reflect the broader workforce.

For example:

An employment lawyer may see many cannabis-related disciplinary cases.

A psychologist may see many mental health cases.

A safety officer may see many fatigue-related incidents.

An HR manager may encounter absenteeism issues.

A medical professional may encounter alcohol-related harms.

Each professional sees a particular slice of reality.

None of those observations alone establish a national trend.

To determine what Fiji's most common workplace problem actually is would require comprehensive workforce data, not isolated professional experiences.

Why Precision Matters

Cannabis remains one of the most politically charged substances in public debate.

As a result, broad claims can easily reinforce stigma rather than inform policy.

This matters because Fiji is simultaneously exploring economic opportunities through industrial hemp while facing growing public discussion around medicinal cannabis access.

When influential voices make sweeping claims without accompanying evidence, public understanding can become distorted.

The conversation shifts from evidence-based policymaking to perception-based policymaking.

That serves nobody.

Neither employers.

Nor workers.

Nor patients.

Nor regulators.

The Strongest Argument Supporting Apted's Position

To be fair, there is a reasonable interpretation of Apted's comments.

He may simply be describing the cases he encounters most frequently in employment law practice.

If so, his statement could accurately reflect his professional experience.

That is a legitimate contribution to public discussion.

But it should be presented as exactly that:

a professional observation, not a verified national statistic.

The Strongest Argument Against It

The strongest counterargument is straightforward.

The article presents a significant claim without presenting corresponding evidence.

Readers are asked to accept a broad conclusion without seeing:

sample sizes,

prevalence data,

industry comparisons,

workplace injury statistics,

methodology,

or independent verification.[1]

Without those elements, the public cannot evaluate the claim's accuracy.

A Better Question for Fiji

Rather than asking whether cannabis is Fiji's most common workplace problem, perhaps we should ask:

How common is workplace impairment generally?

What proportion involves alcohol?

What proportion involves fatigue?

What proportion involves prescription medicines?

What proportion involves illicit drugs?

What proportion involves cannabis specifically?

Those are evidence-based questions.

Those are questions that can be measured.

And those are the questions policymakers should be asking.

Conclusion

Cannabis impairment at work is a legitimate workplace safety concern.

That is not in dispute.

What remains in dispute is whether cannabis is genuinely Fiji's "most common workplace problem."

At present, no evidence has been publicly presented to support that conclusion.

Until such evidence is produced, the claim should be understood as an opinion based on personal experience rather than an established fact.

Public policy should be built on data.

Not assumptions.

Not anecdotes.

And not headlines.

Yandra Mai Viti

Sign the petition for Cannabis Reform in Fiji: https://www.change.org/p/decriminalize-cannabis-in-fiji-for-our-health-wealth-and-justice?fbclid=IwdGRjcASd8_pjbGNrBJ3z9mV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHnVgsDVvp6QXvfaCmTr89UQ0IVQlJp6WN75K8ibKY-LeMk7Yc-IRO9OecrEa_aem_YWdncwCgJ6hZLGC_F5i_v-2iJozx&brid=YWdncwFG04EuSVmGPz-bQ_JYajSC

Footnotes

[1] The Fiji Times. "Drug use at work | Apted: Marijuana use is the most common workplace problem." Available at: https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/drug-use-at-work-apted-marijuana-use-is-the-most-common-workplace-problem/ 

[2] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). "Cannabis and Work: Implications, Impairment, and the Need for Further Research." 2020. 

[3] CDC/NIOSH. "Cannabis and Work: The Need for More Research." 2020. 

[4] CDC/NIOSH. "Cannabis Use and Workers." 2024. 

Screenshot Source:

https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/drug-use-at-work-apted-marijuana-use-is-the-most-common-workplace-problem/?fbclid=IwdGRjcASlBaljbGNrBKUFm2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHhJVVBeDAN8Aw33QHTaF0Dn_V6AaR1eJQlsgR_RUfSR-2Sd8JcMrSshCbnwB_aem_AHB6wMZiBQlXUqWfmlU5kA

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