Just when it looked like pre-employment cannabis testing was on its way out, some employers appear to be reversing course.
A new Fisher Phillips survey of more than 600 businesses found that 60 percent now test job applicants for cannabis, up from 52 percent when the employment law firm asked the same question in 2024. Forty-six percent said they test every applicant, compared with 40 percent two years ago, while 14 percent test only certain positions, including safety-sensitive jobs.
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The findings may seem surprising, considering cannabis legalization and changing attitudes have led many major employers to drop THC from pre-employment screenings. A separate 2024 survey of nearly 1,000 employers found that 48 percent had stopped testing at least some job applicants for cannabis. Among employers that continued testing, 44 percent said the policy made recruiting qualified candidates more difficult.
So, why might testing be making a comeback?
The answer may have less to do with changing attitudes toward cannabis and more to do with the changing labor market. As hiring has become less competitive, employers may feel less pressure to drop cannabis testing to attract and retain workers.
The latest Fisher Phillips survey offers some evidence for that theory. Among employers still testing for cannabis, 38 percent now report difficulty recruiting qualified candidates because of their testing policies, down from 44 percent in the earlier survey. The percentage citing talent acquisition and retention as a reason for skipping cannabis tests also fell from 37 percent to 28 percent.
At the same time, the primary reason employers test for cannabis hasn’t changed. Eighty percent of employers that screen applicants cited workplace safety, virtually unchanged from 81 percent two years ago.
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Cannabis positivity among workers also remains elevated. Recent Quest Diagnostics data found cannabis positivity reached 4.4 percent in workplace urine tests in 2025. Hair-test positivity reached 15.1 percent, up 58.9 percent from 2021. The data doesn’t necessarily explain why more employers are testing, but it offers additional context as companies weigh workplace safety against recruiting concerns.
The shift isn’t universal. State and local laws increasingly restrict cannabis testing, and federally regulated safety-sensitive positions still operate under separate requirements.
Employers may not suddenly be more concerned about cannabis. Instead, a less competitive hiring environment could mean they have less incentive to overlook it. As hiring pressures ease, some companies may feel they can maintain cannabis screening without risking the loss of qualified candidates.