An annual analysis from Quest Diagnostics medical lab and testing company shows the percentage of general U.S. employees, who tested positive for cannabis in 2022 reached the highest level ever recorded by Quest, which began analyzing annual workplace drug testing data in 1988.
Of the more than 6 million urine tests Quest analyzed in 2022 for marijuana use in the general worker category — which excludes federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers such as pilots, truck drivers who undergo routine drug testing — 4.3% were positive, up from 3.9% in 2021. That marks the highest number of positive test results for marijuana ever recorded by Quest during the 34 years it has analyzed workplace drug use data. The number of general workers who tested positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident in 2022 was 7.3%, compared with 6.7% in 2021 — the highest level in 25 years.
“This historic rise seems to correspond with sharp increases in positivity for marijuana in both pre-employment and post-accident drug tests, suggesting that changing societal attitudes about marijuana may be impacting workplace behaviors,” Keith Ward, general manager and vice president for employer solutions at Quest Diagnostics, said in a statement.
More workers in federally mandated safety-sensitive jobs also tested positive for marijuana usage. Within this group, .98% tested positive for cannabis nationally, compared with 0.86% in 2021.
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