Rob Wilson explains how popular products like CBD and Delta 8 can complicate an employer’s ability to accurately monitor employee drug use
New data released from Quest Diagnostics reveals that employee drug use has increased in the last few years, with an increase of over 30% since 2011. Notably, marijuana use has led the trend, with positive test results for marijuana increasing by 50% in the last 5 years alone.
“In 2020, the rates of positive drug tests among employees climbed to their highest level since 2001,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert. “Ten years ago, we were looking at an all-time low since Quest first began testing and tracking employee drugs, but now we have dramatically increased.”
Wilson says the legalization of marijuana has driven the trend, as well as the popular use of marijuana derivatives like CBD.
“Many employers don’t know this, but you can get a positive drug test from the use of CBD, even if you are using a product that doesn’t contain THC,” says Wilson. “In fact, in February, an employee sued her place of business for terminating her after her drug test returned positive. She says she was only taking an over-the-counter CBD product, and that being terminated violates her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
As marijuana derivatives like Delta 8 have become readily accessible for Americans across the country, even in states that have not decriminalized any marijuana use, Wilson says that employers must tread very carefully when drug testing employees.
“It sort of sounds like a ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse, but it’s actually true – these legal marijuana derivatives can and will give false THC positives, the same way that things like orange juice or vanilla extract would be revealed to contain alcohol. These products are not actually mind-altering substances the way a bottle of wine or a 6-pack are, but a rudimentary test can’t tell the difference. Similarly, these drug tests aren’t refined enough to be able to identify the difference between true THC and THC derivatives.”
So what should employers do?
“You need to go back and have a good look at your workplace drug policy, and if you don’t have one, now is the time to make one,” says Wilson. “You need to make it clear to your employees that these marijuana derivatives can lead to false positives so that everyone is informed and aware of the risks. No one wants to be embarrassed or shocked by a positive drug test when all they did was take melatonin that included CBD.”
Furthermore, says Wilson, your ability to monitor drug use among your employees is going to depend on whether or not you are a unionized or private workplace.
“While you have the right to expect and require sobriety from workers on the job, it can become a bit tricky when you suspect drug use and want to act on your fears.”
Wilson says that if you work in a non-unionized environment, you should ask a supervisor or human resources team member to help you determine if an employee is under the influence of marijuana.
“If your suspicions are backed up by other leaders in your company, you can discipline and even terminate your employee,” says Wilson.
If you work in a collective-bargaining workplace, Wilson says that you should have a series of steps laid out in your handbook that will help everyone understand what the outcome of marijuana use on the job will be.
“These steps might include drug testing, verbal warnings, and even requiring your employee to enroll in an EAP program if they want to keep their job,” says Wilson, referring to Employee Assistance Programs which can offer drug counseling for employees struggling with addiction.
Wilson says that even though Americans’ rights are changing as it relates to marijuana use, employers can still have a zero-tolerance policy regarding drug use on the job, even if the employee has the legal right to use marijuana recreationally or medically.
“While it is against the law to discriminate against someone simply because they have a medical marijuana card, as this could be seen as discrimination against someone with a disability, you can still require sobriety among your employees and treat marijuana the same way you would alcohol or prescription drugs like Vicodin,” says Wilson. “Whether an employee is driving heavy machinery or approving loans, you need your workers to be clear-headed and capable of performing at a high level.”
For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.