Employers Raise Cannabis Applicant Testing to 60% as Looser Labor Market Eases Hiring Pressure
Updated
Updated · GreenState · Aug 10
Employers Raise Cannabis Applicant Testing to 60% as Looser Labor Market Eases Hiring Pressure
3 articles · Updated · GreenState · Aug 10
Summary
60% of more than 600 businesses surveyed by Fisher Phillips now test job applicants for cannabis, up from 52% in 2024; 46% screen every applicant and 14% test only some roles.
38% of employers that still test said the policy hurts recruiting, down from 44%, while the share citing talent attraction and retention as a reason to skip testing fell to 28% from 37%.
80% of employers that screen applicants still cite workplace safety as the main reason, essentially unchanged from 81% two years ago, suggesting the rebound is tied more to labor-market conditions than shifting views on cannabis.
4.4% of workplace urine tests were positive for cannabis in 2025, and hair-test positivity reached 15.1%—up 58.9% from 2021—as companies weigh safety concerns against hiring needs.
The shift is uneven because state and local rules increasingly limit cannabis testing, while federally regulated safety-sensitive jobs remain subject to separate requirements.