Drug Testing

Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Colorado and Washington, employers in those states must determine how to handle employees who fail a drug test after using the drug on their own time.

Lawmakers in Ohio, Virginia and Kansas say they will introduce legislation that would require welfare recipients to undergo drug tests before receiving benefits, according to MSNBC.

The number of NFL players who are testing positive for amphetamines such as Adderall has increased, according to the Associated Press.

A plan that would require applicants for welfare and unemployment benefits in Texas to be tested for drugs would hurt children, critics argue. The plan is backed by Governor Rick Perry.

Although voters in Washington have approved a new law allowing the recreational use of marijuana among adults, employers in the state are unlikely to change their drug use policies, according to The Seattle Times.

Texas Governor Rick Perry this week called for drug tests for residents seeking welfare or unemployment benefits, the Associated Press reports.

Tennessee state officials are studying drug-testing programs for welfare recipients in six other states, as they shape their own program, The Tennessean reports.

A growing number of Amtrak employees have been testing positive for drugs and alcohol, increasing the risk of a serious railroad accident, according to a new report.

A Massachusetts chemist accused of mishandling drug test results has admitted wrongdoing, The Boston Globe reports. Annie Dookhan says she changed test results, did not perform proper testing, and forged colleagues’ initials for two to three years.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys in Massachusetts are faced with reevaluating more than 34,000 drug cases that were handled by a chemist who is accused of misconduct, the Associated Press reports.

A growing number of middle schools are requiring that students submit to drug testing, The New York Times reports.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed court documents this week in support of its lawsuit over the state’s mandatory drug testing system for welfare applicants. The documents suggest the system is flawed, according to The Palm Beach Post.

People seeking welfare benefits in Utah must now take an online drug-screening survey, which is designed to determine if they are likely to have a substance use disorder, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Some trucking companies are using hair tests to test drivers for drug use, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

A new hand-held laser device, which can immediately identify illegal drugs, could be a big help to police in investigating and prosecuting narcotics cases, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The Defense Department’s new drug testing policy is raising questions about what a valid prescription is, according to the Navy Times.

Tennessee’s new law requiring drug testing for welfare recipients, which Governor Bill Haslam said he will sign, faces constitutional questions, according to The Tennessean.

A federal court has ruled that an executive order by Florida Governor Rick Scott, which would randomly test state workers for drugs, is unconstitutional. The policy constitutes an unreasonable search and seizure, Federal District Judge Ursula Ungaro ruled Thursday.

In a four-month period last year when Florida required welfare applicants to undergo drug testing, the program yielded no savings, caught few drug users, and did not affect the number of people who applied, The New York Times reports.

Florida Governor Rick Scott is delaying implementation of a new law to test state workers for drugs, in response to legal challenges, the Associated Press reports.

Members of the Oklahoma House voted that legislators throughout the state should take the same drug test that would be required of welfare recipients.

The Florida Senate has approved a bill that would allow random drug testing of state employees. The bill now moves to the desk of Governor Rick Scott, who is certain to sign it, the Associated Press reports.

The Florida House passed a measure that allows random drug testing for state employees, but rejected an amendment that would have required the tests for themselves and the governor.

Almost two dozen states are considering measures that would require welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, the Associated Press reports.

A legislative panel in Oklahoma approved a bill requiring drug testing of welfare recipients.