Marijuana laws challenging workplace drug testing

Marijuana laws challenging workplace drug testing

More than a third of American private employers have drug testing policies for their workers in accordance with the federal drug-free workplace act. But, times have changed since that law was passed 25 years ago. 23 states have legalized medical marijuana and voters in Colorado and Washington State have legalized recreational pot. CBS News legal analyst Rikki Klieman joins “CBS This Morning: Saturday” to discuss how employers balance “zero tolerance” with these more lenient laws.

50 Comments

  1. PSYKEY on September 7, 2023 at 9:40 pm

    Base your employment on the quality of work, not on what state of mind an individual is in. People vary widely! Their are lazy worthless employees that don’t smoke weed and their are good ones that do and vice versa. Nothing is black and white and some people are more productive on it surprisingly, especially in medical situations such as my tourettes syndrome.



  2. South Beach Miami Art on September 7, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    Sadly, god failed his drug test. He never showed up to the lab.



  3. Regina Fisher on September 7, 2023 at 9:42 pm

    Marijuana needs to be legal , end of story everybody smokes weed Martha Stewart smokes weed for god sakes get over it. Nuns smoke weed.



  4. hayden wigle on September 7, 2023 at 9:44 pm

    Tolowence



  5. shane benavente on September 7, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    This is #1 bull$#!+



  6. Michael Flores on September 7, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    Hate when they say drugs or alcohol tf alcohol is a drug…



  7. John Gibson on September 7, 2023 at 9:48 pm

    It’s federally illegal still an that makes it a no go….



  8. Regina Fisher on September 7, 2023 at 9:49 pm

    Stop testing people for marijuana you idiots!!



  9. Fake Woke on September 7, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    Tolewance



  10. Zach Kettell on September 7, 2023 at 9:54 pm

    There should be a 12 hour law because after approximately 12 hours psychoactive ingredients like THC and Alcohol no longer affect the person, the products are still testible but are not in any way affecting judgment, There is a certain amount of both THC and Alcohol that is within impairing levels and that can be told by a blood screen and if that certain level is not reached the person should not face any work consequences because they are not impaired by the drug that is in their system at that time however if the person is within impairing levels than the person could face consequences but keep in mind no one is in danger if its like a retail employee, however, if it’s a doctor, taxi driver, bus driver, construction worker, firefighter, or police officer that’s a different story because if they are under the influence people’s lives could be in jeopardy.



  11. What's Good on September 7, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    Use a marijuana breathalyzer when they’re available. You don’t know who is impaired by observation. That’s not true.



  12. Raymond Allan on September 7, 2023 at 9:55 pm

    The swab test is better suited for employers as it will detect drug use on the job and not just metabolites from personal time use of THC.
    What a person does off the job is THEIR BUISNESS and not the employers.
    This should be the focus of employers and not the UA test which intrudes into a person’s private life.



  13. Narsty Boy on September 7, 2023 at 9:56 pm

    This $120 billion lost in productivity is an interesting figure. I would like to see where they get those numbers from and how that information is collected. I would guess it’s completely arbitrary.



  14. Jimmy Winn on September 7, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    Jobs shouldn’t want to know what you did last week



  15. Steve Watson on September 7, 2023 at 9:57 pm

    Stop testing it’s invasive and excludes the trust afforded to a respectable enough adult



  16. Regina Fisher on September 7, 2023 at 10:04 pm

    Hey guess what no one’s ever died smoking pot, but plenty people die from drinking alcohol.



  17. Scuba Steve on September 7, 2023 at 10:04 pm

    I love how if you’re a daily smoker I can take upwards of 70 and depending on how large you are over 100 days to clear up for a drug test yet no matter how large I am if I’m a meth head I can quit smoking meth and three days later pass a damn drug test G I wonder which one I would rather have on my job site somebody who smoked a Doobie at a concert one month ago or somebody who quit smoking meth three days ago to get a job



  18. PSYKEY on September 7, 2023 at 10:06 pm

    28% of people have used it in their lives.



  19. Derek Phillips on September 7, 2023 at 10:06 pm


  20. David Perry on September 7, 2023 at 10:07 pm

    If I am an employer, I would not drug test for Marijuana but, I will still drug test for Opioids, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, Cocaine, Ketamine, Heroin, methadone, quaaludes, hydrocodone, OxyContin, PCP Barbiturates, and Ecstasy. Anyone with a proper prescription for Benzodiazepines, Amphetamines, etc. tested will not get fired or disqualified over a positive result on the specific panel(s) of their needed prescription meds.



  21. Dave Ortiz on September 7, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    it should’ve never been illegal in the first place!!!!!!!!!! everybody knows it’s medicine and all the ailments it helps and cures! thanks big pharma for you pos are the ones in the way of it being legalized! all you scumbags are just legalized drug dealers and most of your legal meds are horrible on the body and the side effects are way worse then the symptoms it is used for to treat! big pharmas got to go!!!!!!!!!!!



  22. stumbling drunk snap kick on September 7, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    End proabition



  23. PSYKEY on September 7, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    I got three word for you: It’s Just Pot!



  24. Robert Lamb on September 7, 2023 at 10:10 pm

    CBS Corp. is in New York where marijuana is illegal! This talk show is telling us in Colorado that we need to keep up drug testing alive and well! Just an FYI: A lot of jobs that require a drug test don’t even pay that much.



  25. What's Good on September 7, 2023 at 10:10 pm

    Employers can meet and their business.



  26. Blue Mist on September 7, 2023 at 10:11 pm


  27. Kou Xiong on September 7, 2023 at 10:11 pm

    FREE MARIJUANA VS CIGARS, ALCOHOL, DIALYSIS PATIENTS DIED!



  28. Regina Fisher on September 7, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Human beings have been smoking weed for hundreds of thousands of years



  29. Neeraj Kumar on September 7, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Drug alcohol selling job



  30. up shift on September 7, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    Hey cbs the government never gave us citizens a vote on makong weed illegal. But now they have gotten so greedy they figured if they legalize rec. Use they can get all the tax dollars and wages taxes and pocket that money too just like alll the rest of the money that disappears in government and NOONE IS EVER HELD ACCOUNTABLE AND QUESTIONED THEY SIMPLY ANNOUNCE MONEY IS GONE THEN LEAN ON THE CITIZENS TO BAIL OUT EVERY CORP THAT DOESNT PAY TAXES YET THE CEO STILL GETS HIS BONUS ..YEAH REAL TWISTED AND YOU MEDIA. FOLKS ARE LIKE A TALKING HEAD.



  31. Savage Creations on September 7, 2023 at 10:13 pm

    We are being fired even if we are not under the influence and employers are limiting there hiring pool. Stop punishing us for something that is legal!!!!!!!



  32. Recovery12Life on September 7, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    Said all that to say we dont have a clue what to do



  33. couchpoet1 on September 7, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    Here’s a solution, stop testing people.



  34. Warren Kuhn on September 7, 2023 at 10:14 pm

    I’d advise everyone to do hard drugs that are out of your system in 2-3 days , marijuana users are bad people .



  35. Damon Brown on September 7, 2023 at 10:17 pm

    Stop testing for thc



  36. NANO EL BATERO on September 7, 2023 at 10:19 pm

    COMPANIES ITS SIMPLE TAKE AWAY DRUG TESTING FOR WEED!!!



  37. Recovery12Life on September 7, 2023 at 10:21 pm

    This is stupidly simple, a saliva test will be negative if ypu havnt smoked in more than 3 hours, perfect just use that test to show if a person is impared



  38. Neal Amesbury on September 7, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    Well if you can’t measure it- ….then your going to test ? Stay away from my home time. Measure if I’m doing a good job at work…personal freedom matters- and needs to be taken much more seriously . Freedom for your neighbor,not just tailored to our personal a hole ness



  39. Raymond Allan on September 7, 2023 at 10:22 pm

    She obviously doesn’t understand UA testing for marijuana.
    There are 2 tests performed which check for metabolites.
    The initial test and conformation test.
    Look at the SAMSHA guidlines:
    The initial test cutoff for THC is 50 ng/ml any result at or above that is a positive.
    The conformation test is 15 ng/ ml.
    This means incidental contact with THC such as a lotion or CBD concentrate can produce a positive result.
    Now look at the standard for METH:
    The initial test is 500 ng/ml
    And the conformation test is 250 ng/ml.
    So if I were to do meth and an employer does a UA and the conformation test says 249 mg/ml that means I didn’t do meth.
    ABSOLUTELY NOT!
    This unfair standard for THC snares many users and is nothing more than a "witch hunt"
    Now look at the Morphine test standards:
    The standard for morphine is even more shocking: 2000 ng/ml For both initial and conformation tests.
    The human body does not produce meth or morphine.
    See the problem here:
    Employers ignore the more dangerous drugs and focus on THC.
    Incidently since THC is a schedule 1 substance employers can opt out of the initial test and go straight to the conformation test EXCEPT for DOT testing which follows SAMSHA guidlines.
    So if you want to use THC get a job driving a SEMI or be an Airline pilot. The test standards are loser than let’s say a factory or office job.



  40. Mr. X on September 7, 2023 at 10:23 pm

    Media always disguises itself as “trying to help us”! B.S., the media is always trying to undermine or attempting to limit our freedoms under the guise of just trying to help us!

    Potheads hurt no one except for the occasional, extremely rare case!

    The powers that be should try to make adjustments for the changing times! Don’t try to change the attitude of the public against pot!

    This is why law enforcement is unliked! Stop protecting me from the boogeyman scenarios! Law enforcement should protect us from having our rights limited! Not promote propaganda to make it easier to arrest, prosecute and confiscate our personal property, so law enforcement can take our possessions and then make money when they sell our crap at auction!

    That’s more likely how you’ll be effected if they have their way! Not by some “dangerous pothead behind the wheel”!

    You don’t wanna use marijuana, don’t!

    I really hate the media!!! Bunch of instigating idiots! Btw I don’t even use pot, but I don’t want my rights limited! I’m not a child!



  41. Jordan Harris on September 7, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    That settles it, the world is flat!



  42. PSYKEY on September 7, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    Drug testing is absolutely unconstitutional! It stays in your system for weeks possibly.



  43. Tony Gareth on September 7, 2023 at 10:25 pm

    I don’t care for marijuana but it is absurd for marijuana to be illegal! It should be completely legal and I’d even consider using it on occasion just for relaxation and sleep benefits. I also feel that it should not be allowed for companies to tell people they can’t use marijuana if it’s legal.



  44. bobby bruffett on September 7, 2023 at 10:28 pm

    Stop testing WORKERS of USA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸!



  45. Sofia Stowers on September 7, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    Don’t go to work on Monday…



  46. Kyle Corbitt on September 7, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    We really need a new drug test that can detect how long and when thc has been in the body



  47. captrbd21 on September 7, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    The only reason we have drug testing is due weak minded individuals with no self-control or impulse control. I will never agree with any recreational use of mind-altering substances and these politicians passing it inactive is supporting recreational use that’s the incompetent working with the incompetent. Someone who lacks basic self control and can’t stay away from these mind-altering substances should be locked up to avoid interfering with the constructive parts of society.



  48. SuperShortBoy on September 7, 2023 at 10:34 pm

    I love this women



  49. Hugh Smith on September 7, 2023 at 10:35 pm

    No victim no crime…. none of your business.



  50. Guitar Lessons LA on September 7, 2023 at 10:38 pm

    Its very simple, you follow federal laws.