Individual Drug Testing Not Restricted In San Francisco
Individuals in San Francisco needing a drug test for personal reasons need not worry. Immediate drug testing in San Francisco is available for probation, court orders, child custody, divorce and any other personal reason. Hair drug testing and urine drug testing are popular choices and locations are available throughout San Franscisco.
San Francisco Restrictions on Employment Drug Testing
The city must follow California State law, which changed recently with restrictive drug testing for marijuana. Hair and urine drug testing reveal nonpsychoactive metabolites, so urine drug testing should only be conducted for DOT drug testing or the exceptions mentioned previously.
Oral fluid drug testing identifies parent drugs, which has led many employers in California to transition to this method.
Additionally, some employers in California have removed marijuana from their testing panels.
Nonpsychoactive metabolites of THC are not producing a “High” as the drug has been previously ingested and metabolized in the body. California and San Francisco are ok with workers smoking pot on their own time.
Employment drug testing in San Francisco should be limited to situations where there is reasonable suspicion of illicit drug use at work. It is important that any pre-employment drug test be conducted on the applicant prior to being placed on payroll and actually having status as an employee.
It is recommended that employers in San Francisco have a strong drug free workplace policy with legal review prior to conducting any drug testing of employees. Get expert advice on implementing a drug free workplace policy here: Develop A Drug And Alcohol Testing Policy.
If you need help writing or clarifying your workplace drug policy, reach out to National Drug Screening for advice or a custom-written policy to support your workplace safety.
Drug Free Workplace Policy
Contact National Drug Screening
Use Caution With Employment Drug Testing In San Francisco
For DOT regulated employees, always follow the DOT regulations which require testing for marijuana. Additional exceptions to the California law AB 2188 restricting marijuana testing include
- employees in building and construction trades,
- positions requiring federal background checks,
- and individuals under state or federal testing regulations.
Employers in San Francisco might consider eliminating marijuana from their Non-DOT testing panels. Another solution is to run drug testing with oral fluid specimens as opposed to urine and hair specimens.
Strong reasonable suspicion programs, with robust training, can assist employers with making the correct decisions when safety might be compromised.
Prior to making any adverse employment decisions regarding a marijuana test positive, employers should have an interactive discussion with the employee to determine if the marijuana use may have been off-duty.
For more detailed information on California marijuana law AB 2188 visit: California New Law on Marijuana – AB 2188.
