There are companies that believe in ensuring discipline in the workplace by making drug tests compulsory for all employees. Some employers have made these tests mandatory for new recruits. Apart from drugs, the use of alcohol can also be tested.
The rules guiding a company’s need to examine their employees for substance use will depend on the laws of that jurisdiction. For example if Colorado drug testing laws state that there has to be drug testing in the workplace, then the workers do not have a choice but to comply.
Employees may be picked at randomly for these tests, or the selection may involve only those that display suspicious behavior. The reasons or circumstances may be different. However, some laws may require that all employees are tested during any screening exercises.
Many administrators have taken it upon themselves to ensure that none of their staff members have any drug-related issues. They try to identify such issues early and resolve them their own way before things get out of hand, and the negative influence extends to how they execute their assignments.
In a broad sense, they need to safeguard their corporate image in the eyes of their consumers, customers, partners, and the public. Compliance with the laws of the jurisdiction they are operating in is also a factor.
The Differences between Recreational and Medical Marijuana
Recreational marijuana use is an issue that is being subjected to prohibition laws in some states. Some business owners are trying to ensure that their workforce is free from weed users/smokers, so as to boost efficiency and productivity.
As an employer/business administrator, there is need to understand the differences between recreational and medical marijuana, so as to be fair. Federal and/or state laws may put you in trouble for discriminating against “special needs” people, or patients living with disabilities and using medical cannabis.
The issue of differentiating between these two varieties remains a matter of confusion to many. What can be used to indicate a clear distinction is their composition of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). Medical cannabis has more concentration of CBD than THC, or may even contain no trace of the latter.
THC is the psychoactive component of weed that makes users/smokers “high”. This effect is that target of recreational cannabis smokers across the world. Apart from the “high” feeling it produces, it also alters moods. Read more about that here.
Experts have revealed that CBD acts as a regulator for the psychoactive effects of THC on the brain. This means that the little traces of THC in the medicine being used will not make the patient feel any “high”. CBD is needed by many for various health benefits, and gives many “special needs” people the necessary boost in their line of work―making them more efficient and productive.
Some countries or states allow the use of medical marijuana, which is prescribed to patients that have “disabilities”. Other jurisdictions have not passed laws that protect the use of the varieties that are considered to be beneficial to some categories of patients.
Testing Procedures and Limitations
As part of the workforce of an organization that has made drug tests part of the corporate culture, you should endeavor to understand what the procedures and laws related to it entail. You need to understand the legal limits of such procedures. In some countries/jurisdictions, the procedures are subjected to certain limitations which can be cited in favor of a participant. These limitations can be based on the time and/or method factor.
For the tests, laboratory professionals may be presented with urine, blood, hair, saliva, or sweat samples. Blood samples can be used to test for traces of drugs and alcohol. The procedure can be used to target drugs like THC, cocaine, nicotine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, opiates, and others.
Read more about that here: https://www.upcounsel.com/pre-employment-drug-testing
Mouth swab tests, which are easy to conduct, can be used to test for traces of substances in saliva samples. Hair sampling is one of the preferred methods of testing by physicians and lab professionals. Why is this so? It is considered to be difficult to beat and more reliable. The traces of the drugs can be easily detected in a timeframe of 3 months, because of the length of time it takes the hair follicles to store drug metabolites.
Urine sampling for urinalysis is also another common method that employers prefer. It can be used to check for traces of a substance even after its psychoactive effect has worn off.
Companies need to put many things into consideration if they want to make this a part of their corporate culture. They have to implement the policy in line with the federal/state laws. Workers should be well-informed about what the process will involve.
Educational materials should be made available to every member of the workforce, so that there will be a general understanding of what they will be undergoing. Workers can be lectured by experts about how drug abuse will affect their performances. They need to know that drug abuse can greatly reduce their zeal to put in their best in executing assignments, and achieving individual goals and objectives related to the corporate mission and vision.
What drug testing in your workplace entails depends on the organization’s policies. You should read about the company’s test policy in order to understand their preferred procedures and timing for such appointments.
You have to understand that you can be fired for testing “positive”, or if there is a case of the suspicious use of masking agents, and other techniques to cheat the test. The best way to beat the system is to abstain from recreational drug use. If you need to consume cannabis for medical purposes, you can discuss with your employer about it with the relevant documents about your medical history or a report from your doctor (if requested).
In trying to beat the system, you should also do your research on the duration it would take for the traces of the substances to be depleted in your body. This will depend on your rate of consumption, your biology, and so on.