Job Corps, a national program for job training administered by the U.S. Department of Labor has changed the drug screening protocol for marijuana to avoid punishing youths for cannabis use prior to entering the program.
Job Corps is a drug-free, alcohol-free program. However, those with a past of substance abuse are not automatically disqualified. All students, new or readmitted, are required to undergo a drug test upon their arrival at a Job Corps Center. If they test positively, they are enrolled in prevention services and education and then screened again about 40 days after.
Before the new change, a positive result on the second test would have been grounds for dismissal from the program. The new procedure allows for a person who tests positive on the second test to not be penalized as long as there is a “minimum 50% reduction of THC.”
In documents announcing the change, Job Corps stated that results below this threshold would be “considered a negative test.” They will also be attributed to “drug use prior enrollment.” The student will remain in the program, and receive relapse-prevention services.
Our new student-centered policy no longer penalizes students for previous marijuana use before enrolling in Job Corps.
Officials said that the new policy would help them better reach students at whatever stage they are in in their journeys. It will also give them the opportunity to change their lives.
Students who begin the program after February 13 will be subject to the new testing protocol. The new testing protocol does not change the way positive drug test results are treated.
Officials said that students, parents, and staff have been asking for this change. We believe that these changes will help us better serve all students, as our policy will screen them in to the program instead of out.
The statement continued, “We recognize that this policy change may cause frustration for students who are currently enrolled” and will not be helped by it.
In a FAQ, Job Corps explained that the threshold of 50 percent was based on THC’s half-life in the human body.
Scientific studies have shown that the half-life varies from 5 to 13 day. Job Corps selected the 13-day half-life to minimize the risk of students being separated from those who have a slow metabolism and abstained marijuana use. By choosing the longest half-life scientifically determined, other factors such as dehydration and lack of activity are taken into account.
Job Corps’ Acting National Director Erin McGee, announced the change in policy to program administrators and staff via a Memo dated February 14.
McGee’s Memo says that a positive test result was most likely caused by residual THC concentrations from drug use before entering Job Corps. There is no disciplinary action.”
These changes are also reflected on the newest version in the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook.
As a federal drug-free program Job Corps does NOT make accommodations for participants who use medical marijuana. This was made clear by officials of the Labor Department in a 2016 memo.
The memo stated that “Job Corps Centers are not required to allow medical marijuana use by Job Corps participants, nor are they permitted to do so.”
The legalization of marijuana has prompted a national discussion on cannabis-related employment policies.
In Ohio, marijuana was legalized last year. For example, Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced that his city “modernized” their drug testing policies for candidates for city jobs . This included eliminating “antiquated terminology around pre-employment cannabis testing that previously hindered hiring attempts.”
In July, Washington, D.C. passed a law that prohibits private employers from firing employees or punishing them for using marijuana outside of work hours.
Michigan officials approved changes in the state’s Employment Policy during the summer. This means that applicants for most government positions will no longer have to undergo pre-employment drug tests for marijuana.
New York offers greater protections in the workplace for adults who use cannabis legally during non-working hours and away from their jobs.
In California, recently, two pieces of legislation that were signed into law by 2022 and 2023 took effect prohibiting employers from asking applicants about previous cannabis use, and barring employers from penalizing employees for lawful marijuana usage while off the clock.
The Job Corps policy is similar to a new Washington State Law which prohibits pre-employment marijuana drug testing but allows employers the right to fire employees who test positive for marijuana after being hired.
As lawmakers work to close gaps between competing bills, details on Virginia Marijuana Compromise offer emerge
The article Job Corps Loosens Marijuana Test Rules for Federal Youth Workforce Training Program first appeared on Marijuana Moment.
