Employee Drug Testing Under Modern Legislation

Drug laws have become more lenient in recent years in the US. With this has come reform in other related areas, including new policies on employee drug testing. Last year, over 500 new bills related to drug testing were introduced off the back of the legalization of marijuana in many states. Both recreationally and medically, marijuana is now legal in many, if not most, states. Because of this, positive marijuana tests have increased by over 45% in the past five years. This research is alarming for safety-sensitive industries, as working under the influence can have serious consequences for vulnerable populations.

Many states and affected industries are drug testing more often and implementing anti-cheating policies to discourage foul play during the testing process. These policies are driven by new technology, including detailed check-in software, adulterant tests, and dilution detection. There are currently ten states that have these policies in place, setting an example as we move forward into a new age of drug legislation. Sensitive industries like energy, transportation, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and construction are also leading the charge when it comes to testing their workforce. Working together, state and industry leaders can prepare their workforce for the future of drug use laws and testing mandates in the United States.

Source: USDrugTestCenters.com