Should You Relax Your Marijuana Drug Testing Policy?

Last summer  Amazon removed marijuana from its pre-employment drug screening for all positions (excluding where required under federal law). Amazon recognized the change in the cannabis landscape: 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana use. A ripple effect was predicted at that time and in fact, many other employers have done the same in this tight labor market. Many employers are treating marijuana use like alcohol use. California just went so far as to protect marijuana use off the job and away from the workplace. Should your workplace take marijuana off the list of banned substances for pre-employment screening?

It’s a complicated issue but one that needs attention.  Even if you eliminate marijuana as a banned substance, you need to have a policy and process in place to address reasonable suspicion and post-accident testing. Manager training is paramount in this area too.  We can help with reasonable suspicion training, plus emphasize the importance of confidentiality and a professional environment during investigations.

If you think it is time to update your policy on marijuana to better reflect the workplace today, we can help. Contact us.