Marijuana consumption by employees is a serious concern for employers. Many problems arise at workplaces due to marijuana abused employees. Absenteeism, loss of productivity, and occurrence of injuries or accidents are some of the them. Marijuana users are found to be responsible for various crimes and fights at workplaces. So it is necessary for employers to maintain safety and discipline of workplace environment. Hence, marijuana drug testing is conducted by many organizations.
Marijuana drug testing at workplaces can be done by various types including urine test, saliva test, hair test, and blood test.
Urine Test:
Most employers conduct marijuana drug test using urine samples. Metabolites of the drug appear in urine in about 2 to 5 hours after consumption and can be detected for several weeks. However, the results are based on occasional or frequent usage of the drug. Urinalysis can be conducted easily and it also provides results within few minutes.
Saliva Test:
It is an easy and efficient method of drug testing. Saliva is collected from the individual by means of a swab. As there are no privacy issues concerned with this method, many employers prefer to use saliva test. It also detects recent marijuana usage. Quick and accurate results are provided by this test.
Hair Test:
The metabolites of marijuana get deposited at hair shafts. Concentration of these metabolites is checked in hair marijuana testing. The hair sample can be taken from head, arms or legs. This test can detect marijuana and its metabolites for up to 90 days after consumption. Samples taken from employees are sent to laboratories for analysis. The results obtained by this method are very reliable as advanced techniques like gas chromatography and mass spectrometry are used for analysis.
Blood Test:
Marijuana and its metabolites can be detected directly from blood. However, it is an invasive method. So it is only conducted at emergency situations when there is an occurrence of any accidents at workplaces. Results can be obtained within two days after laboratory analysis.
Any of these methods can be used for conducting marijuana drug test at workplaces. Various types of cost-effective drug test kits are used by employers.
