A guide explains the difference between THC testing and cannabis impairment testing. Traditional THC tests — using urine, saliva, blood, or hair — detect past cannabis use but cannot reliably determine whether a person is currently impaired. Because THC can remain in…
Posts by Category: Pre-employment Drug Testing
Federal Drug Testing Rule Will Require ‘Directly Observed’ Urine Collection from Truck Drivers
The U.S. Department of Transportation has finalized a drug-testing rule requiring directly observed urine collection in certain cases involving safety-sensitive workers, including truck drivers. The rule applies when oral fluid testing is unavailable or impractical…
Maine: State Enacts Law Protecting Medical Cannabis Patients from Workplace Discrimination
Maine has enacted a new law protecting medical cannabis patients from workplace discrimination, reinforcing job-related safeguards for registered users. The measure limits employers from taking adverse action against employees or applicants solely based on their…
Alabama: Following Years of Delays, Patients Can Finally Access Authorized Medical Cannabis Products
Alabama has finally begun allowing patients to access state-authorized medical cannabis after years of delays in launching its program. Licensed dispensaries are now opening, enabling registered patients with physician approvals to purchase regulated cannabis products…
Drug Testing in Maine and Oklahoma: New Compliance Obligations for Employers
New laws in Maine and Oklahoma will significantly change employer drug-testing requirements in 2026. Maine’s amendments impose stricter procedural safeguards, including written documentation of observable impairment before reasonable-suspicion testing, expanded…
Maine Revises Workplace Drug Testing Law
Maine has revised its workplace drug‑testing law to prohibit arbitrary testing and limit when employers may test applicants or employees. Beginning July 29, 2026, testing is allowed only through reasonable suspicion, criteria‑based testing, or neutral random…
Marijuana Rescheduling Begins: What Employers Need to Know About DOJ’s New Order
The DOJ’s order to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III begins a multi‑step regulatory process that will ease federal criminal penalties but does not legalize marijuana or change employers’ ability to maintain drug‑free workplace policies. Employers may still prohibit…
New Jersey: Court Rules Police Officers Can’t Be Fired for Off-Duty Cannabis Use
Police officers’ off-duty use of cannabis is not grounds for termination, according to a decision issued by the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. Representatives from the Jersey City Police Department sought to uphold an officer’s firing,…
Safety Can’t Wait: ATA’s Push to Modernize Drug Testing Protocols
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is urging federal regulators to modernize workplace drug testing for commercial drivers by expanding the use of hair and oral fluid testing instead of relying mainly on urine tests. ATA argues current methods are vulnerable to…
DEA Clarifies That the Synthetic Cannabis Compound HHC Is Federally Banned, and Doesn’t Count as Legal Hemp
The DEA clarified that hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a synthetic cannabinoid often derived from hemp-based CBD, is federally illegal and classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The agency said chemically converted cannabinoids do not qualify as legal hemp under…



