A federal study of substance use trends revealed that women, people age 18 to 25, and those with higher incomes and private insurance have been increasingly falling victim to heroin. The report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and…
Posts by Category: Pre-employment Drug Testing
An Employer’s Guide to Marijuana in the Workplace
Last November, two-thirds of Washington, D.C., residents voted to pass Initiative 71, which decriminalizes the possession of marijuana in the district. The sale and use of medical marijuana became legal in Washington, D.C., in 2010, but Initiative 71 allows for…
New Hawaii Medical Marijuana Law Bars Use in Workplace; Zero Tolerance Policies Still Enforceable
Closing a gap in Hawaii’s medical marijuana law, a new law sets up a regime of vertically integrated grow facilities and retail dispensing licenses for the delivery of medical marijuana to “cardholders†in Hawaii. The stated intent of the new law, signed by…
Marijuana in the Workplace
The states of Colorado and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia, have enacted laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Those jurisdictions and twenty-one other states have also legalized the use of medical marijuana. Meanwhile, U.S. Code still…
14% of Americans Have Alcohol Use Disorder
A new study finds 14% of American adults currently have an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Many have never been treated. Thirty percent of those interviewed said they had an alcohol-related problem at some time in their lives. Researchers from the National Institute on…
Connecticut Drug Testing Statutes Do Not Apply To Hair Tests, Court Holds
Connecticut’s drug testing laws apply only to urinalysis drug tests and not to a drug test using hair specimens which led to an employee’s termination, a Connecticut trial court has held. Schofield v. Loureiro Engineering Associates, Inc., 2015 Conn….
California Court Upholds Emotional Distress Award Due to Unannounced Random Drug Test
A California appellate court affirmed an award of emotional distress to two employees who felt pressured to submit to a random drug test. The Court reasoned that the random drug test administered in this case violated a fundamental right to privacy, which is protected…
Positive Workplace Drug Test Results on the Rise for Second Straight Year, Study Finds
For the second year in a row, the percentage of American workers testing positive for illegal drugs has increased, according to a study conducted by Quest Diagnostics. Quest Diagnostics’ Drug Testing Index (DTI) – an annual analysis of workplace drug…
Federal Law Trumps Colorado Medical Marijuana Protections
Colorado workers who use medical marijuana and engage in other activities permitted by state law but not federal law are not protected by the state’s “lawful activities statute,” the Colorado Supreme Court ruled. In Brandon Coats v. Dish Network…
Failure to Disclose “Shy Bladder Syndrome” to Employer Defeats ADA Claims Over Firing for Refusal to Drug Test
A retail employee in line for a store general manager’s position lost not only the promotion, but his job, as well, when he failed or refused to take a test because he could not provide a urine specimen as a result of “shy bladder syndrome.” The…