You may be able to legally use marijuana for medical and recreational purposes in some states, but the drug is still not welcome in the workplace. And federal laws and regulations still require that employers keep illicit drugs out of the workplace, state laws notwithstanding. Employers across the country are also concerned that substance-using employees may harm themselves and others, so there are several incentives to maintain drug-free workplaces.
But keeping marijuana and other drugs out of the workplace is easier said than done. More than 9% of people over the age of 12 reported using illicit drugs in the past month, up from 8% in 2007, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And the percentage of American workers testing positive for illicit drug use in employers’ urine tests increased in both 2013 and 2014, according to Quest Diagnostics.
Given these trends, it’s no surprise that many employers have introduced zero-tolerance drug policies in their workplaces. But implementing such policies can be challenging.
Recommended For You
Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking insurance news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Weekly Insurance Speak podcast featuring exclusive interviews with industry leaders
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, BenefitsPRO and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
