Category: Drug Testing Archives | Page 3 of 5 | Sterling Talent Solutions

Every day millions of trucks are on the road transporting everything from livestock to electronics to large industrial pieces. Some drivers are on short day trips while others are long-haul drivers who travel across states. As a child, I was always fascinated by the “big rigs” and how drivers were free to see the wonders of the country. I didn’t realize until I was older how vital these trucks and their drivers are in transporting goods and services in the United States.

Over the past ten years, there have been changes to laws governing medicinal and recreational marijuana use across the United States. Twenty-three states and Washington D.C. have legalized marijuana in some form. Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C. have legalized the recreational use of marijuana and 25 million Americans have used marijuana in the past year with 14 million of these using the drug on a regular basis.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a report in August 2016, affirming the Schedule 1 Controlled Substance classification of marijuana defined by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS concluded the following about marijuana:

When it comes to the legalization of marijuana in the US, each state handles it differently. The laws governing the use of cannabis and their enforcement can vary largely depending upon the new regulations, bills, policies and laws that are put into place.

I’ve counseled many employers over the years on the need to ensure their pre-hire qualification process doesn’t overlook the importance of drug testing to make sure that the next new hire isn’t one affected by substance abuse. Not only does substance abuse present a serious situation for a job applicant on a personal level, but also for workplace and public safety. So, as important as other elements of an employment background check are, equally important is pre-hire drug testing.

The landscape of legal and medical marijuana is in a state of constant change, making it increasingly difficult for employers to navigate legislation and maintain compliance. There are more than 600 state laws and regulations that impact private workplace drug testing programs, and more than 10,000 court and agency rulings. Currently, 24 states plus Washington D.C. permit medical marijuana and 4 states plus D.C. allow recreational marijuana for users 21 and over, however, over 80% of employers are still testing for marijuana in the workplace.