Post-Accident Workforce Drug Positivity For Marijuana Reached 25-Year High In 2022, Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index Analysis Finds

The percentage of employees in the general U.S. workforce testing positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident increased to its highest level in 25 years in 2022, according to a new analysis released by Quest Diagnostics DGX.

In 2022, post-accident marijuana positivity of urine drug tests in the general U.S. workforce was 7.3%, an increase of 9% compared to 6.7% in 2021. The new peak follows a steady increase in post-accident marijuana positivity every year from 2012 to 2022. In that 10-year time frame, post-accident marijuana positivity increased 204.2%. From 2002 to 2009, post-accident marijuana workforce positivity declined.

In 2022, the combined U.S. workforce urine drug positivity for all drugs persisted at 4.6% – the highest level in two decades. The 2021 and 2022 positivity rates were the highest since 2001, up more than 30% from an all-time low in 2010-2012.

While marijuana was the main driver of workforce positivity increases in the general U.S. workforce, amphetamines positivity also contributed to the increase. Positivity for amphetamines in the general U.S. workforce increased 15.4% (1.5% positivity in 2022 versus 1.3% positivity in 2021).

The new Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index report is based on more than 10.6 million deidentified urine, hair and oral-fluid drug test results reported between January and December 2022, aimed at providing insight into behavior seen in workers across the combined U.S. workforce by industry and drug type. The new findings will be presented at the National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association 2023 Conference taking place May 23-25 in Bellevue, WA.

Marijuana positivity in states that permit recreational and medical use continued to climb

In the general U.S. workforce, marijuana positivity increased 10.3% year over year (3.9% in 2021 versus 4.3% in 2022). Marijuana positivity increased 11.8% (5.1% in 2021 versus 5.7% in 2022) in states in which recreational marijuana is legal and 8.3% (3.6% in 2021 versus 3.9% in 2022) in states in which medical marijuana is legal. In states in which neither recreational nor medical marijuana is legal, marijuana positivity increased 3.3% (3.0% in 2021 versus 3.1% in 2022) year over year and 14.8% over five years (2.7% in 2018 versus 3.1% in 2022).

In the federally mandated safety-sensitive workforce, marijuana positivity increased nationally 14% year over year (0.86% in 2021 versus 0.98% in 2022). Marijuana positivity increased 17% (0.94% in 2021 versus 1.1% in 2022) in states in which recreational marijuana is legal. Marijuana positivity increased 5.9% (0.85% in 2021 versus 0.90% in 2022) in states in which medical marijuana is legal. In states in which neither recreational nor medical use marijuana is legal, marijuana positivity increased 12.7% (0.79% in 2021 versus 0.89% in 2022) year over year and 1.1% over five years (0.88% in 2018 versus 0.89% in 2022).

Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

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