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Marijuana Legalization by State.
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Posted: March 22, 2022
We are frequently asked if pre-employment cannabis testing is still worth it. As more states and localities legalize and decriminalize marijuana use, employers are being faced with the question of whether to test for the substance or not.
According to a report from Quest Diagnostics, 2.7% of employee drug tests nationwide were positive for marijuana in 2020, an increase of 2.5% from 2019. According to the report, “overall, the percentage of U.S. workers testing positive for drugs was 4.4 percent, down slightly from 2019 (4.5 percent), when the rate of positive drug tests hit its highest level in 16 years.” While these are significant numbers, do they really matter to your company? A traditional hiring process often requires a clean drug test, including passing the marijuana portion but regulations and attitudes around cannabis use are quickly changing.
This leads us back to the original question: Is pre-employment cannabis testing still worth it? We’ve mapped out the pros and cons for you.
Here are a few reasons to continue testing for marijuana:
Here are a few reasons to stop testing for marijuana:
The Answer?
Back to the original question: is pre-employment testing for cannabis still worth it? Unfortunately, there is not a clear-cut answer, and every company needs to analyze their own situation. While pre-employment marijuana testing was once a necessary step in the hiring process, it is an evolving issue that may no longer be suitable for your company. The answer will depend on things including drug testing regulations in your state and municipality, along with laws that require drug testing for certain jobs.
Conducting Compliant Marijuana Testing
If your company decides to proceed with marijuana testing here are a few pieces of advice:
For information on pre-employment drug testing, please contact us at (877) 360-4636. We are here to help with all your drug testing and compliance needs.