Finding and keeping dependable employees has always been a priority for employers. For manufacturers, drug testing is a tried-and-true method of weeding out employees who may be less dependable. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and changing laws have significantly impacted the employment landscape.

Now might be a good time for manufacturers to remind themselves — and their employees — why they have drug-testing policies and re-evaluate whether their substance abuse prevention policy is compliant with federal, state, and local regulations.

Turnover rates have increased exponentially; that is, if employers are even able to hire a candidate before they disappear to a competitor. Combine that new reality with ever-growing numbers of state laws on cannabis use, and the social environment may make it even more difficult for manufacturers to find and retain talent.

Acceptance of Drug Use

Generally, drug use is accepted by the majority of Americans. Among people aged 12 or older, in 2021, 61.2 million people (or 21.9% of the population) admitted using illicit drugs in the past year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (See SAMHSA Announces National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Results Detailing Mental Illness and Substance Use Levels in 2021; January 4, 2023.)

With the opioid epidemic at the forefront of national consciousness, it may be easy to forget that...

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