American workers using marijuana on the job rose to a “historic” high last year, according to a new study.
Diagnostic information service Quest Diagnostics released a report on May 18, analyzing over 6 million employee urine samples in 2022, and found that 4.3 percent of them were positive for cannabis, up from 3.9 percent in 2021.
This is the highest number of positive test results for marijuana historically recorded by Quest, which has been reviewing workplace drug test data since 1988.
The study was held following a rise in workplace accidents to their highest level in 25 years last year.
Quest found that 7.3 percent of workers who were injured on the job tested positive for marijuana use in 2022, up from 6.7 percent in 2021.
Affecting Work Performance
According to Quest, the industries that witnessed the greatest increase in positive test results over the past five years were hospitality and food services, which saw drug use spike 42.9 percent, retail with an increase of 42.6 percent, and finance/insurance, which witnessed a 38.5 percent rise.
“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 and putting colleagues at risk,” said Keith Ward, General Manager and Vice President for Employer Solutions at Quest Diagnostics, in a statement.
