Positive drug screening hits on the rise

The rate of urine drug testing positivity in the U.S. workforce climbed 4.5 percent in 2019 to a 16 year high (no pun intended) according to an analysis by Quest Diagnostics. Marijuana positivity in the U.S. workforce increased nearly 11 percent from 2018 to 2019 and 29 percent since 2015 and a whopping 28% percent higher than the thirty-year low of 3.5 percent recorded between 2010 and 2012. 

Marijuana positivity climbed by double digits across nearly all employee testing categories, while opiate and heroin positivity declined nationwide. Results showed cocaine and methamphetamine positivity surges in Midwest.

Data reflects a growing use of substances that should be a concern for employers and how drug testing should be administered relating to the legalization of marijuana in numerous states.