After the 2020 elections, the state of Oregon made history by becoming the first to decriminalize possession of hard drugs like heroin, methamphetamine, LSD and others. Using hard drugs in that state will no longer result in a criminal record, but are employers expected to change their drug testing or hiring policies?
Jared Rosenthal, the founder and CEO of Health Street — a New York City-based company that performs drug tests for employers — says employer-policies around drug testing will still be up to individual company discretion and local laws. Oregon-based companies, and those with employees living in the state, for example, are still within their rights to screen their workforce for illicit drugs. That’s unlikely to change even if more states and municipalities adopt similar legislation.
