Real-Time Marijuana Test is a Game Changer for U.S. Employers
Marijuana is being legalized across the United States for both medicinal and recreational use. That’s posing a problem for U.S. employers in the states that legalized pot because advocates are fighting to have the drug completely removed from company drug tests. You may have shrugged thinking, “Why not? Marijuana causes people who use it to be carefree and laid-back—why, the worst that could happen on the job would be a raid on the office snack machines, right?”
Actually, the answer to that question is a hard no. That’s not the worst that could happen.
People who smoke pot or use edibles to achieve their high, are also known to be inattentive at times, easily distracted at others, and clumsy now and again. All three of those side effects put someone at a higher risk of causing or being involved in an accident. What’s more, anyone nearby is at risk of being involved in an accident as well.
Employers who care about the safety of all in their employ must keep their foot down. Marijuana use on the job can’t be tolerated.
The underlying problem with legalization
The overall problem regarding employers and marijuana legalization is that drug tests don’t determine current impairment. They look for drug metabolites and not the parent drugs, themselves. Other drugs pass through the system rather quickly, usually within hours or days after the last dose. Marijuana metabolites, on the other hand, remain in the system long after the point of impairment has passed.
In fact, if someone used the drug daily, they may test positive for up to three months after they stop using it. Even occasional use puts someone at the risk popping positive on a drug test for weeks. The specific length of time varies depending on frequency of use, individual body mass index (BMI), and other factors.
That’s posing a problem for some job hunters who use the drug in the privacy of their home though. Even if someone legally uses marijuana before applying for a job if the company tests for marijuana, they aren’t going to be chosen for the position. That possibility has many up in arms saying pre-employment drug tests infringe on an applicant’s right to privacy. The majority of employers who drug test, however, continue to beg to differ on that opinion. Moreover, they have every right to do so as long as marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Still, there are groups pushing for bans on pre-employment drug testing in states and cities where marijuana use is legal. However, those same groups concede there should be stipulations left in place that require certain industries, especially those connected to the safety sensitive workforce, to continue pre-employment testing.
Just as the outcome of a pre-employment drug test rests on its result, a post-accident drug test has a lot riding on it as well. A positive result could indicate with whom responsibility lies. And, of course, a negative result could relieve an employee of the weight of responsibility. It doesn’t make sense to use a test that can’t determine if someone was under the influence of drugs in the moment. In these instances, employers usually require medical personnel to perform a blood test on everyone involved in the accident.
A blood test can identify parent drugs, thereby establishing current impairment. They’re very expensive, must be performed in a medical environment, and, of course, are the most intrusive type of drug test offered.
A test for current impairment will change the game
Hound Labs, a company based in Oakland, California, has been hard at work creating and producing a marijuana breathalyzer. It has the same concept as an alcohol breathalyzer, but it determines the level of THC found in the breath. Hound Labs began seriously working on their invention back in 2014. During their research, it was discovered that THC can be detected on the breath for approximately the same amount of time that impairment lasts.
Once that was certain, they got to work discovering how to measure it. And, the rest, as they say, is history. The Hound Cannabis Breathalyzer is going to be in the hands of employers before the end of 2022. Employers will purchase the breathalyzer and own them outright. The tests are very easy to conduct and can be administered on-site.
Each test uses a separate cartridge. Simply load a new cartridge into the breathalyzer prior to the test and remove it when completed. Results are determined on-location within minutes. A negative result indicates the employee has not used THC within a specified amount of time. The employee is free to return to their duties. Positive results are sent to the lab for further testing to ensure the result.
Being able to determine marijuana impairment in real-time is going to benefit employers and their employees alike. There’s just nothing better than a win-win situation. Don’t you agree?
While sales are limited to the United States for the time being, the company is making plans to expand their market to an international level in the not too distant future.
Stay tuned.
