More Post-Accident Marijuana Drug Tests Are Returning Positive

According to new study from Quest Diagnostics, marijuana usage is becoming increasingly prevalent among employers in drug tests following workplace incidents. Between 2012 and 2022, there was a 204 percent increase in the number of post-accident drug tests that indicated marijuana use, which is in line with a national trend toward more states legalizing recreational marijuana use.

Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use in 2012. Since that time, 38 states (plus the District of Columbia) have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes, while 19 additional states and the District of Columbia have done the same for recreational use. However, both types of use are still prohibited by federal law.

Marijuana and other intoxicating cannabis products can significantly affect workplace safety because they have been shown to affect memory, response time, and other crucial driving skills. According to the Quest data, there is strong evidence that employees who use cannabis products more frequently have a higher chance of suffering an accident at work. Employers must take the necessary actions to establish and uphold a policy that addresses marijuana usage, create an environment of safety, and inform the staff to ensure that all employees are secure both on and off the job.

According to the research, marijuana use was primarily to blame for employees testing positive for drugs, but amphetamines and other drugs also had a role in the rise, with marijuana growing by 10.3% and amphetamines by 15.4%, accordingly.

The Quest Diagnostic data does not address how cannabis can stay in a person's system for weeks after intake, long after the effects have passed, even though safety is of the biggest importance in any workplace. With the legality of marijuana increasing, several industries are learning more about how cannabis is frequently used as a relaxation aid and as a treatment for conditions including anxiety, depression, and more.

The number of CDL-holders who tested positive for THC last year was about a little more than 40,000 according to the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, which is run by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and keeps track of the drug tests that truck drivers are required by law to undergo. This is a significant increase from the 31,085 in 2021 and even higher than the 29,511 in 2020. THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, can cause feelings of euphoria and relaxation, yet it can sometimes cause a person's perception to become more acute.

The rising positive rate for marijuana in pre-employment and post-accident drug tests was blamed for this significant increase. This implies that shifting cultural perceptions on marijuana use may have an effect on workplace behavior and harm employees.

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