Effective January 1, 2020, employers will be barred from conducting pre-employment drug testing for marijuana in the state of Nevada. Nevada is the first state to enact a law that will restrict employers from utilizing a positive marijuana drug test for employment screening purposes. The law states that it “is unlawful for any employer in this State to fail or refuse to hire a prospective employee because the employee submitted to a screening test and the results of the screening test indicate the presence of marijuana.” This law will apply to all types of currently acceptable drug screening methods: urinalysis, hair, blood, and saliva. The only positions that are exempt from this law will be emergency medical technicians, operators of motor vehicles who are required to be drug tested, firefighters, or other jobs that could adversely affect the safety of others as determined by the employer.
Employers located in Nevada should review their current screening policies and make the appropriate adjustments to stay in compliance. In addition, employers have the right to review their positions as well to see if any of their safety sensitive positions can be exempted. Since Nevada won’t likely be the last state to enact this type of law, CRC will monitor this trend and post updates as they occur. If you have any questions about your current drug testing policies or you’re in the market to work with a accredited background screening agency, please reach out to CRC’s Business Development team and they’ll be happy to assist.
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