Facing Shrinking Applicant Pool, Employers Easing Drug Testing Requirements
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Companies across the country are easing their drug test requirements for potential hires.
According to the California Department of Public Health, 1 in 10 working-age adults uses cannabis at least once a month.
"It is an issue," said Anthony Trenton with ArcPoint Labs, a drug testing facility.
For potential employers, finding clean labor has become more of a challenge. That's why Trenton says some companies are giving marijuana users a pass.
"There has only been one or two that have decided to drop the marijuana," said Trenton.
He wouldn't reveal the companies because he says they don't make their approach to marijuana publicly known.
"They don't want to pay for the lab costs and they want to get people in there quicker," he explained.
A low unemployment rate and a need for labor have some hiring executives turning a blind eye to what happens in their worker's spare time.
Still, employers can do as they please. Labor lawyer Barbara Cotter says employers can fire people for a failed marijuana test.
"The freedom to do something outside the workplace does not translate to freedom within the workplace," said Cotter.
"Right now, the state hasn't said anything about discrimination or anything like that," said Trenton.
That could change in California. At least for people certified for medical marijuana use. A bill making its way through the state legislature would protect medical marijuana users from being fired for a failed drug test.
In the meantime, more companies from coast to coast are relaxing marijuana rules to try and increase the applicant pool available.
