“We have corrected an injustice where our employees were being unjustly punished and potentially having their careers destroyed for responsibly utilizing a legal substance on their own time.”
Tag: urinalysis
Since 2020, over 139,000 commercially licensed truckers have tested positive on urine tests for past cannabis exposure, resulting in an industry-wide labor shortage.
“As laws to overturn prohibition continue to take shape across this nation, legislatures should not forget that other policies must also be revised to keep up with the times. The discrimination against cannabis users in the workplace is one of those policies it is time to update.”
Those who consume alcohol legally and responsibly while away from their jobs aren’t punished by their employers unless their work performance is adversely impacted. Those who legally consume cannabis should be held to a similar standard.
“Policies that mandate would-be hires to undergo urine screens for past cannabis exposure are invasive, discriminatory, and ineffective. They neither identify workers who may be under the influence, nor do they contribute to a safe work environment.”
Washington joins a growing number of jurisdictions that have passed legislation limiting employers’ ability to pre-screen applicants for past marijuana use.
“This is a victory against discrimination toward people who use cannabis,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Karen Keiser. “For people using a legal substance — many of them for medical reasons — locking them out of jobs based on a pre-employment test is just plain unfair, and we are putting a stop to it.”
Since 2020, more than 100,000 truck drivers have tested positive for past cannabis exposure. Of this total, only about 25 percent sought to return to work — resulting in mass driver shortages.