U.S. Worker Drug Positives Hit 19.1% as Marijuana Drives 52.5% of Hair-Test Cases
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jul 10
U.S. Worker Drug Positives Hit 19.1% as Marijuana Drives 52.5% of Hair-Test Cases
2 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jul 10
Summary
19.1% of U.S. workers screened by hair analysis tested positive for drugs in 2025, up 46% from 2021, with marijuana making up 52.5% of those cases, Quest Diagnostics said.
Marijuana positives rose even where overall urine-test results stayed flat: all-drug urine screens held at 4.3%, while marijuana alone climbed to 4.4% from 3.9%; hair tests showed marijuana at 15.1% over five years and 21% in random screening.
Employers are reworking hiring rules as legalization spreads and labor remains tight, with about half of nearly 1,000 companies surveyed by Fisher Phillips saying they no longer screen job candidates for marijuana.
Safety-sensitive sectors are keeping stricter controls and shifting toward saliva and hair testing, which Quest says are harder to tamper with; 11.1% of oral-fluid tests were positive for marijuana last year.
State and federal rules are pulling policy in different directions: New York largely bars workplace marijuana testing, at least two dozen states protect medical users, and a federal reclassification effort could reshape testing standards.
As employers drop marijuana screening, can new tests accurately detect on-the-job impairment instead of just past use?
With workplace drug use rising, why are federal agencies slow to approve cheat-proof testing for safety-critical jobs?
How does marijuana's new legal status as a Schedule III drug change an employee's rights under the ADA?
U.S. Worker Drug Positivity Rates (2025-2026): Marijuana Trends, Federal Rescheduling, and the Future of Workplace Safety
Overview
U.S. worker drug positivity rates remain high, with marijuana as the most commonly detected substance, holding steady at 4.5% in 2024. While federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers saw a slight decline in marijuana positivity, post-accident positivity rates stayed elevated at 7.3%, highlighting ongoing workplace safety risks. Amphetamine positivity also increased, reflecting broader trends in substance use. Notably, nearly 22% of adults with disabilities reported cannabis use, underscoring the impact of changing legal and social attitudes. These findings, based on recent Quest Diagnostics data, illustrate the evolving challenges employers face in balancing safety, legal compliance, and employee well-being.