Floridians voted to pass Amendment 2 to legalize marijuana, a change that will expand what has been a very narrow right in the state to be treated with low dose THC cannabis. Under the new amendment, a “qualified patient” is permitted to use or handle medical…
Posts by Category: Pre-employment Drug Testing
Oregon Legislature’s Attempt to Protect Pot Users Poses Challenges to Employers
Some Oregonians are no doubt breathing clouds of relief with the introduction of Senate Bill 301, the Oregon Legislature’s proposal to protect employees from being fired for personal marijuana use. Employers, on the other hand, may find themselves in a sticky (icky)…
More Colorado Businesses Dropping Pot from Pre-Employment Drug Tests
Blaming low unemployment, Curtis Graves, an attorney with the Mountain States Employers Council, said if the unemployment rate ticked up to 6 or 7 percent, some employers would likely resume testing for marijuana. But, for now, many Colorado businesses are dropping…
Medical Marijuana: Considerations for Employers
Although the legalization of recreational use of marijuana is still up for debate, the courts have granted legal access to marijuana for individuals with a medical need. In response to courts requiring “reasonable access” to a legal source of medical marijuana, the…
DOT to Add Synthetic Opioids to its Drug Testing Panel
In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register in which it proposes to amend its drug testing program regulation to add four synthetic opioids to its drug testing panel. It also will add…
Post Accident Positivity Climbs Among American Workers
In the latest release of the Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index, its senior director of science and technology noted that, over the past five years, there have been small increases in post-accident positivity rates in urine drug testing that have led to dramatic…
Medical Marijuana Comes to North Dakota: What North Dakota Employers Need to Know
North Dakota joined 28 states across the nation who have legalized some form of medical marijuana use when its Compassionate Care Act went into effect in December. The Act does not allow employees to possess marijuana in the workplace, nor does it include…
EEOC Increases Scrutiny of Employer Actions Taken Against Prescription Drug Users
Prescription drug abuse has made national news in the last few years. In March 2016, President Obama noted that “prescription opioid abuse and [the] heroin epidemic claims the lives of tens of thousands of Americans each year,” and that he was taking more steps to…
Shortage of Drug-Free Job Applicants
It is no secret that the country has a drug problem and, according to Briefings magazine, that problem is increasingly spilling over into the workplace, making it difficult for employers to identify potential employees who are not using drugs. In fact, more than half…
FMCSA Finalizes Rule on National Drug and Alcohol Testing Clearinghouse
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently announced a final rule establishing a national drug and alcohol clearinghouse database for commercial motor vehicle drivers. The rule, which will be in effect by…


