We published an article earlier this year all about the 2018 Drug Testing Index results that released findings showing workplace drug positivity rates are now at the highest rates we’ve seen in over a decade.

More than 14 million urine drug tests are analyzed in Quest’s Drug Testing Index to help provide industry specific insights on drug use. This latest analysis showed that within the U.S. workforce urine drug tests have seen year-over-year double-digit increases in workplace drug positivity within 6 out of 17 industry sectors.

Among these industries, the Retail Trade Industry has seen the highest overall positivity rate across the past four years.

Other industries that have seen year-over-year double-digit increases in drug positivity include:

-Transportation & Warehousing
-Other Service Industries
-Wholesale Trade
-Construction
-Administrative Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services

Barry Sample, PhD, senior director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics spoke out about the findings, “Our [examination] of drug positivity data suggest drug use by the nation’s workforce is growing across a broad swath of industries. Of particular concern are sharp jumps in positivity rates seen in sectors like transportation and warehousing and construction that directly affect public safety. Staying vigilant and providing support for employees who test positive for drug use are key for employers seeking to maintain a safe, healthy workforce.”

If you have questions about how you can improve your drug testing program to help keep your workplace safe and accident free, give our drug testing department a call at 888-919-8378 or shoot us an email at mail@blueline-services.com.

The post Workforce Drug Positivity Increases Within Multiple Industries appeared first on Blueline.

All of the information they shared has been sourced from and recognized by the medical and/or scientific communities and should merit some serious consideration. We’ve shared their research and information below for your benefit.

“Marijuana is harmless.”

-Marijuana use is associated with increased risks of: mental illness (Burns, 2013), heart disease (Montecucco, 2012), cancer (Marks, 2013), lung disease (Mehra, 2006) and stroke (Wolff, 2013); compared to tobacco, marijuana smoke contains three to five times more carcinogens (Tomar PhD & al., 2009).
-The structural brain change caused by marijuana use by adolescents and young adults – including only casual use – is permanent. IQ points are lost – and cannot be recovered with age (Meier M., 2012).
-Exposure to so-called “edibles” has led to a significant increase in the poisoning of young children. (Wang, 2014).
-The side effects from marijuana have led to far more emergency room visits than all other substances combined (SAMHSA, 2013).

“Marijuana is medicine.”

-The American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Society of Addiction Medicine, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, American Glaucoma Society, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Cancer Society, National Eye Institute, National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke and, the Federal Food and Drug Administration – these are only some of the prominent national health organizations that have rejected crude marijuana for medicinal use.
-State regulatory oversight of marijuana for medical use in Colorado has been highly touted as a model of success. Regardless, while the state’s website shows registrant demographics at 3% for cancer, and 1% for AIDS, those who “complain of pain” equal a whopping 94% (CDPHE, 2014). And these registrants are not the sick and elderly; rather, the average cardholder is a 41-year-old male – in the workforce. In California, the average user of marijuana for medicinal use is a 32-year-old male with a history of alcohol and substance abuse – and no history of life-threatening illnesses (O’Connell, 2007).

“The marijuana ‘high’ only lasts for a few hours.”

-Repeated studies have shown that after marijuana use, impairment lasts a minimum of 24 hours. One particular study included flight simulators – to test airline pilots at various intervals after they smoked “a joint.” While impairment was proven 24 hours after usage, none of the pilots reported any awareness of their own impairment (Yesavage, Leirer, Denari, & Hoillister, 1985). And this study was conducted prior to the significant THC increases seen in today’s marijuana products – where users often report ill effects for days afterward.

“Presence-in-system testing is unreliable because it does not measure impairment.”

–The amount of THC – the psychoactive component in marijuana – is going to vary across the wide variety of marijuana products now available as well as in the rate that it is metabolized by different individuals. While these variants currently make it difficult to produce a standardized method by which individual impairment can be determined with certainty, they should not be construed into some kind of base rate fallacy. The reality is that drug testing is meant to serve as one component of an employer’s comprehensive drug-free workplace policy – that includes education about the consequences of failing a drug test.
-While drug screening and confirmatory cut-off levels have been established that are meant to protect a safe and drug-free workplace from substances of abuse, studies clearly show that maintaining as little as 2-5 ng/mL of marijuana in one’s system may cause substantial impairment issues (Hartman & Huestis, Cannabis Effects on Driving Skills, 2012).
-Presence-in-system testing is the gold standard upheld in repeated court decisions – protecting an employer’s right to provide a safe and drug-free workplace program.

“Marijuana is not addictive.”

-It’s been generally recognized that marijuana is psychologically addictive. Today’s strains of THC are stronger – and now produce physiological dependence and withdrawal that requires substance abuse treatment (Copeland, 2009). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana accounted for 4.5 of the 7.1 million Americans dependent on or abusing illicit drugs in 2010 (SAMHSA, 2010).
-Statistically, one in six adolescent users will become dependent on marijuana – and one in 10 adult marijuana users will become dependent to the point of requiring treatment (Giedd, 2004).
-When chronic marijuana users attempt abrupt discontinuation, the signs of withdrawal syndrome – restlessness, irritability, mild agitation, hyperactivity, insomnia, nausea, cramping, decreased appetite, sweating and increased dreaming – are common (NHTSA, 2014).

“Marijuana can be regulated like alcohol.”

-One would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would hail alcohol regulation as a public health success. For every $1 of tax revenue received in the U.S. from alcohol sales, $10 more are spent on the social costs – amounting to an annual deficit of $185 billion/year (NIDA, 2000). Further, the physical properties, effects on the body, absorption rates, etc. are not in any way the same between marijuana and alcohol – and no standardized techniques for testing exist for marijuana. Claims that marijuana can be regulated like alcohol – based on assumptions of similarity – are extremely misguided.

“Marijuana is not a gateway drug.”

-A 25-year longitudinal study found the frequency of marijuana use to be significant with other illicit drugs of abuse and dependence – particularly with adolescent onset use (Fergusson, Horwood, & Boden, 2006).
-Two separate studies of twins compared whether or not early cannabis use showed subsequent abuse or dependence of other illicit drugs. The findings showed two to five times greater risk than that of a twin who did not use marijuana (Lynskey PhD & al., 2003) (Agrawal, Neale, Prescott, & Kendler, 2004).

“Marijuana is safer than cigarettes or alcohol.”

-With the extremely-high THC now found in new productions of edibles, waxes, and hash oil vaporizers, it may well take another generation before how truly harmful the effects of marijuana use can be determined. The permanent damage to brain function and long-term mental health detriments are not only indisputable but incomparable to cigarettes and alcohol across the board. Marijuana creates its own brand of problems. Blanket statements declaring marijuana as “safer” are ignoring the risks identified by scientific data. Addiction, psychosis, and cognitive function loss are never “safer” (Gitlow PhD, 2014).
-Repeated studies have shown that after marijuana use, impairment lasts a minimum of 24 hours. One particular study included flight simulators – to test airline pilots at various intervals after they smoked “a joint.” While impairment was proven 24 hours after usage, none of the pilots reported any awareness of their own impairment (Yesavage, Leirer, Denari, & Hoillister, 1985). And this study was conducted prior to the significant THC increases seen in today’s marijuana products – where users often report ill effects for days afterward.

“There are no long-term effects from marijuana use.”

-A study of 1000 candidates followed from birth to age 38 showed lasting cognitive decline among marijuana users – that did not change with adult abstinence (Meier M., 2012).
-Marijuana use causes a 17% increased risk for depression onset among all users; risk increases to 62% for heavy (or weekly) users (Lev-Ran, 2014).
-Military personnel who use cannabis 10 or more times by 18 years of age are two to three times more likely to be later diagnosed with schizophrenia than those who have not (Zammit, 2002).
-A 40% increased risk of psychotic symptoms/disorders occurs in those who use marijuana as compared to those who do not (Moore, 2007). This finding has been confirmed by over a dozen studies.

“It is safer to drive with marijuana in your system.”

-Studies consistently show that, on average, marijuana-impaired driving results in a two-fold increase in the risk of a crash (MuChen, 2012).
-Impaired cognitive function means lowered attention to surroundings and tasks, reduced speed of information processing, and slower response times –which can lead to weaving and other risky consequences (Hartman & Huestis, 2013). In Colorado, the number of drivers in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana nearly doubled from 2009 – 2011 (Couch, 2014).

The post Busting Common Marijuana Myths appeared first on Blueline.

We thought that these statistics might be useful to consider as you strive to make or update your own workplace drug policies.

This NSC survey was taken by over 500 individuals that make decisions about workplace drug and alcohol programs for their companies. While 86% of the respondents agreed that opioids (even while taken as prescribed) impact job performance, only half (50%) of respondents felt confident about their company’s substance abuse policies and procedures.

Some other interesting statistics from the survey included:

-75% of employers have been directly affected by opioid use
-79% of employers are not very confident that individual employees can spot warning signs of opioid misuse
-One-third of employers have experienced an overdose, arrest, or injury/near-miss
-38% of employers have experienced absenteeism or impaired worker performance
–Despite widespread impact, only 17% of employers feel extremely well prepared to deal with this issue

Nick Smith, interim president and CEO of NSC said, “The opioid crisis is truly encompassing nearly every aspect of American lives. Today’s survey confirms that the No. 1 cause of preventable death is not just taking its toll on our home lives but companies across the country are also grappling with the impact of this epidemic.”

If you have questions about reasonable suspicion training or how you can help get your supervisors trained to handle drug and alcohol abuse within the workplace, please contact us! We’ll help you get it figured out. All Blueline Service clients have access to our FREE reasonable suspicion training materials.

You can contact our drug testing department at mail@blueline-services.com. Please feel free to take a look at NSC’s drug use guide as well here.

The post Employers Speak Up About Illicit Opioid Use At Work appeared first on Blueline.

As of February 1st, 2018, Maine became the first jurisdiction in the nation to protect workers from negative employment actions based on off-duty marijuana usage.

While Maine voters approved these protections back in November of 2016 with the legalization of marijuana (“Question 1 – An Act to Legalize Marijuana” or “the Act”), some sections of the Act were delayed to provide additional time to prepare for the changes.

These employment anti-discrimination provisions from the Act are now effective, however, and are changing the way Maine does drug testing.

What exactly do Maine’s new employment protections cover?

The employment protections in the Act prohibit Maine employers from refusing to employ or otherwise penalizing any person age 21 or older based on that person “consuming marijuana outside… employer’s… property.” Job applicants are also no longer allowed to be tested for marijuana.

Exceptions to these new rules include employers who receive federal funding or are hiring for safety sensitive positions where marijuana is still prohibited.

Under the Act, employers are allowed to ban the use and possession of marijuana “in the workplace” and given the right to “discipline employees who are under the influence of marijuana in the workplace”.

However, a drug test alone will not be able to prove that an employee is “under the influence”, the Maine Department of Labor stated.

Unlike alcohol, where impairment can be confirmed with a blood alcohol test, marijuana does not currently have any sort of impairment test equivalent. Testing for marijuana is currently only able to see if someone has used marijuana in the past couple of days or weeks, not if it is presently in their system.

In order to fire an employee based on workplace marijuana usage, employers must be able to prove symptoms of impairment.

However, if someone isn’t performing their job well or is doing something that would be cause for termination, employers are, of course, able to let that person go. What employers are no longer able to do based on Maine’s state laws is fire someone solely on their use of marijuana outside of the workplace.

What should you do as an employer?

All employers, both in Maine and outside of it, would be well-advised to revisit their drug and alcohol policies. Ensuring that these policies are clearly defined to both current and potential employees will help protect yourself, your employees, and get rid of any gray areas.  With the recent legalization of marijuana in many states, it’s more important than ever to make sure both you and your employees understand your state and your individual company’s drug testing policies.

All states with legalized marijuana, aside from Maine, currently have exemptions for workplace drug testing policy. This means that the employment protections above are not applicable to other states, and employers are able to fire employees for failing a drug test based on marijuana usage.

Depending on your industry and workplace environment, you might have a different set of policies than your neighboring company.

More information and updates on recreational marijuana law in Maine can be found on Maine’s legislature page here: https://legislature.maine.gov/9419

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