New study indicates false positives possible for hair drug tests

new study from Scientific Reports may have an effect on what kind of drug tests employers choose to use when screening potential employees for marijuana. The study, entitled “Finding cannabinoids in hair does not prove cannabis consumption,” shows that three cannabinoids — tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A) — can be found…

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Californians start state petition to legalize marijuana in 2016

petition to legalize marijuana has been approved by the state and advocates are now seeking hundreds of thousands of registered voters’ signatures in order for the controversial measure to appear on the November 2016 ballot. The petition’s language was approved by Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State. If the measure passes, it would legalize marijuana…

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Why employers should drug test job applicants

can cost a business a lot of money. As already mentioned, accidents in the workplace may result in the company being sued by employees, and worker’s compensation will need to be paid out for any injured employee. A loss in employee productivity due to injury or distraction on the job can cause losses in company…

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Should employers expand drug testing to prescription drugs? National Safety Council thinks so

called for employers to create workplace drug policies in order to address the increased use of prescription painkillers. The Council studied court cases and research that shows that, by addressing the painkiller problem in advance, employers can reduce worker’s compensation claims and costs, as well as costs associated with addiction and treatment. Many workers who…

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Oregon: drug-testing policies won’t change for state jobs

went into effect at the beginning of July, many state employers have begun releasing memos re-stating their drug policies and reminding employees that nothing is likely to change in those policies. Employers are still allowed to conduct drug tests, and ensure their employees show up for work sober, though some acknowledge that what an employee…

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Colo. Supreme Court: Employment policies trump medical marijuana laws

Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that employers may lawfully terminate employees that fail drug tests due to marijuana usage, even if the drug is only used outside of working hours. The Court determined that zero-tolerance policies trump the legal usage of medical marijuana within the state. The case was brought before the Court by Brandon…

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FAA fines Allegiant Air for staff drug testing missteps

Allegiant Air, a budget airline that competes with Southwest Airlines and Jet Blue, is expected to pay the Federal Aviation Administration fines of more than $260,000 for failing to include all of its employees in a random drug and alcohol testing pool, per FAA requirements. According to the FAA, 25 of Allegiant Air’s employees were…

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Could fingerprints be the next leading method for drug testing?

The FBI has a fingerprint database for conducting federal criminal background checks, and plenty of organizations and employers require their employees and volunteers to be fingerprinted as a way to ensure the workers do not have criminal records. But can fingerprint background checks be used for anything besides criminal records? A new study shows they…

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No question, marijuana laws won’t change for these jobs

will be able to legally use marijuana recreationally. In addition, Measure 91 will allow individuals to possess up to eight ounces of cannabis legally, carry one ounce publicly, and grow up to four cannabis plants at their home. But that doesn’t mean that employers are on board. Until July, all marijuana use including medical marijuana…

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3 ways businesses can benefit from drug testing

see improvements in your company by drug testing, from a former human resources manager and director. Find better workers. When word gets around that your company conducts drug tests, you’re automatically able to screen out potential employees that won’t be able to pass drug tests — because they are less likely to apply for jobs…

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