As the coronavirus pandemic diminished the U.S. workforce last year, workers who tested positive for marijuana grew—an expected result from more states legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults.
According to Quest Diagnostics Inc., one of the largest drug-testing labs in America, about 2.7% of the nearly seven million drug tests they conducted on behalf of employers came back positive for cannabis, WSJ reported. A figure that is up from 2.5% in 2019 and 2% in 2016.
During the COVID-19 pandemic numerous states—including Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, New Jersey and New York—legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older.
The U.S. cannabis industry is expected to employ around 350,000 people in 2021. And due to high demand for recreational cannabis, cannabis industry jobs are booming.