An Overview of Drug Testing

When someone is getting ready to start a new job, there are a few final hurdles that they must overcome. One of the most common is drug testing. While many people are used to being drug tested prior to the start of work, some fields even enforce random drug testing. Some of these fields include healthcare, transportation, and even professional sports. This has led some people to wonder how exactly drug testing works. When it comes to the mechanics of a drug test, there are a few important points to keep in mind.

First, there are multiple types of drug testing. One of the most common is a urinary drug test. In this test, someone will be asked to urinate into a cup. Then, his or her urine will be taken to a lab for testing. This test works by looking for breakdown products of certain drugs in the urine. Some of the most common substances that are tested using this method include narcotics, opioids, marijuana, and even alcohol. If any of these substances are detected in the drug test, they will have to be addressed.

Some people may have a prescription that can explain the positive drug test. On the other hand, a positive drug test can also place someone's job in jeopardy. There may be some changes coming to drug testing in the future. There has been a massive political push to legalize marijuana across the country. In some states, the recreational use of this substance has already been legalized. It will be interesting to see how employers decide to address a positive marijuana drug test and a drug screen. Well nobody thinks that someone should be high while at work, marijuana can also stay in someone's blood and urine for an extended amount of time. If someone has a positive drug test yet hasn't used marijuana in several days, how should this be addressed? This will be one of the biggest employment law issues this year.

These are a few of the most important factors that people need to remember when it comes to employee drug testing. It is not unusual for people to be drug tested prior to starting a new job. On the other hand, there are also a lot of changes taking place with regard to marijuana and prescription medications. These changes may have an impact on the mechanics and legality of drug testing in employment law going forward.