On May 18, 2023, Quest Diagnostics – the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services – released new analysis that revealed the percentage of employees in the United States workforce testing positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident increased to the highest level in 25 years in 2022, according to a news release provided by Quest Diagnostics.
In 2022, post-accident marijuana positivity of urine drug tests in the general U.S. workforce was 7.3 percent, an increase of 9 percent compared to 6.7 percent in 2021. The new peak follows a steady increase in post-accident marijuana positivity every year from 2012 to 2022. In that 10-year time frame, post-accident marijuana positivity increased by 204.2 percent.
“These increases in post-accident marijuana positivity correspond with the legalization of marijuana in certain states. In 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Since then, 19 additional states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana,” the news release from Quest Diagnostics stated.
“Intoxicating cannabis products, including marijuana, can have a major impact on safety at work and have been proven to slow reaction time, impact memory and impair skills essential to driving. State legalization of the drug creates new challenges for employers,” Katie Mueller, a senior program manager at the National Safety Council focusing on cannabis safety, explained.
In the general U.S. workforce, marijuana positivity increased 10.3 percent year over year (3.9 percent in 2021 to 4.3 percent in 2022). Marijuana positivity increased 11.8 percent (5.1 percent in 2021 to 5.7 percent in 2022) in states where recreational marijuana is legal and 8.3 percent (3.6 percent in 2021 to 3.9 percent in 2022) in states where medical marijuana is legal.
The new findings – which are from the Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index™ (DTI) reports that provide insights into trends in workforce drug use – will be presented by Quest Diagnostics at the 2023 National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) Annual Conference & Trade Show taking place from May 23, 2023, to May 25, 2023, in Bellevue, Washington.
ClearStar – a leading workforce drug and alcohol testing provider – will exhibit in Booth 114 at the 2023 NDASA Conference. ClearStar will be represented by Todd Shoulberg, President of Medical Information Services, who provides direction and leadership to ClearStar’s Medical Review Office (MRO), and Allison Crump, MRO Manager of Medical Information Services.
ClearStar is a leading global Human Resources technology company specializing in background checks, drug testing, and occupational health screening. ClearStar offers drug and alcohol testing at more than 15,000 convenient drug test locations and 3,600 rated clinics in the United States. To learn more about ClearStar, visit us at Booth 114 or contact us today.
© 2023 ClearStar. All rights reserved. – Making copies of or using any part of the ClearStar website for any purpose is prohibited unless written authorization is first obtained from ClearStar. ClearStar does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.
Let's start a conversation
Thomas Ahearn - Digital Content Editor
Thomas Ahearn is a Digital Content Editor at ClearStar, a leading Human Resources (HR) technology company specializing in background checks, drug testing, and occupational health screening. He writes about a variety of topics in the background screening industry including Artificial Intelligence (AI), "Ban the Box," class action lawsuits, credit reports, criminal records, drug testing, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Form I-9, identity theft, privacy, social media screening, and workplace violence.
At ClearStar, we are committed to your success. An important part of your employment screening program involves compliance with various laws and regulations, which is why we are providing information regarding screening requirements in certain countries, region, etc. While we are happy to provide you with this information, it is your responsibility to comply with applicable laws and to understand how such information pertains to your employment screening program. The foregoing information is not offered as legal advice but is instead offered for informational purposes. ClearStar is not a law firm and does not offer legal advice and this communication does not form an attorney client relationship. The foregoing information is therefore not intended as a substitute for the legal advice of a lawyer knowledgeable of the user’s individual circumstances or to provide legal advice. ClearStar makes no assurances regarding the accuracy, completeness, or utility of the information contained in this publication. Legislative, regulatory and case law developments regularly impact on general research and this area is evolving rapidly. ClearStar expressly disclaim any warranties or responsibility or damages associated with or arising out of the information provided herein.
