The passage of public ballot and legislative initiatives has resulted in medical marijuana laws in 23 states and the District of Columbia and approval of legal recreational use of marijuana by adults in Colorado and Washington in 2012, and in Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Columbia in 2014. This shift in drug policy has created significant concern and confusion for many employers, employees, and job applicants about workplace drug testing in general and testing for marijuana specifically.
This report provides guidance for employers about drug testing employees and job applicants for marijuana use in the workplace in the context of the current legal environment. It also discusses improvements in the science and technology of drug testing not only for marijuana but for other drugs of abuse. The recommendations made in this report to update workplace drug testing respond to the rapidly changing drug abuse environment in the workplace.