By Bill Current, President & Founder
The Where, When, and Who of Illicit Drug Use at Work: You Might Be Surprised
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Would it help to know when and where your employees use drugs during the workday? Would it make a difference to know if they are buying or selling drugs at work and, if so, with whom they’re making these illicit transactions? Would it also help to know how many drug-abusing workers are trying to cheat on a drug test?
The Growing Challenge of Workplace Drug Use
With the legalization of marijuana in so many states, some employers may be hesitant to conduct drug testing, but that shouldn’t stop them from prohibiting employees from showing up to work high on drugs, bringing illicit drugs into the workplace, using drugs while on the job, or buying or selling drugs at work. In fact, in all 50 states, including the ones that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, employers still have the right to prohibit employees from doing all of those things.
It’s one thing to respect the rights of drug users to live life as they wish and get high on their own time, but it’s completely contrary to a business owner’s serious obligation to provide a safe and productive workplace free from the dangers posed by drug use literally taking place in the workplace. After all, the majority of workers are not drug users; they typically don’t want to work side-by-side with drug users, and they have the right to be able to do their jobs without the fear of a drug-impaired co-worker causing a serious workplace accident.
Rising Marijuana Use: What the Data Show
We know from the federal government’s annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) that in 2023, 61.8 million people age 12 and older admitted to using marijuana, an increase from 49.6 million in 2020.[i] We also know from the University of Michigan’s annual “Monitoring the Future” (MTF) study, that:
- “Past-year, past-month and daily marijuana use (use on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days) reached the highest levels ever recorded since these trends were first monitored in 1988.
- “Marijuana use in the past month was reported by 29% of young adults in 2021, compared to 21% five years ago (2016) and 17% 10 years ago (2011).
- “Daily marijuana use also significantly increased during these time periods, reported by 11% of young adults in 2021, a significant increase from 8% in 2016 and 6% in 2011.”[ii]
And according to a survey of more than 1,000 people[iii] who were employed and who also admitted to being illicit drug users, this trend of increased drug use is resulting in a lot of workplace drug abuse as well. And by “workplace drug abuse,” we mean drug use just before, during, and just after work, as well as the buying and selling of illicit drugs while on the job.
The survey found that 68.9% of illicit drug users admit to using drugs while working.
When Do Employees Use Drugs?
- 2% admit to getting high on the way to work
- 8% while on their lunch break
- 5% in the afternoon while at work
- 5% in the morning while at work
- 2% on their way home
Another 18.8% weren’t particular about when they use drugs during the workday, indicating they will get high “anytime.”
Where Are Employees Using Drugs at Work?
- 48% in a car or in the parking lot
- 4% in the bathroom at work
- 6% just outside of the building where they work
- 8% at their desk
- 5% at a co-worker’s desk
- 7% in a supply closet
- 5% in the kitchen
In other words, illicit drug-using employees will use drugs wherever they can while on the job, inside or outside of their actual workplace. In fact, some are brazen enough to use drugs at their desk.
These results confirm those of other reports. According to a survey of 500 marijuana users, 77% said they use marijuana at home before leaving for work, 48% said they use at work on a break or while actually working, and 30% said they use marijuana on the way to work.[iv]
Given the fact that marijuana impairment can last from 3-10 hours, according to a report from the University of Sydney,[v] an employee who uses just before work is likely high when they arrive at work and probably impaired while working.
Who Is Using—and With Whom?
And for those who use on the job, they’re often not using alone. According to the survey of 1,000+ workers:
- 4% use drugs with co-workers
- 8% use drugs with co-workers, superiors, and subordinates
- 5% use drugs with subordinates
- 4% use drugs with superiors
Buying and Selling Drugs at Work
Furthermore, they’re not afraid to buy and sell drugs at work. While 75.8% said they don’t sell drugs at work:
- 3% admitted to selling drugs to co-workers
- 6% said they have sold drugs to co-workers, superiors, and subordinates
- 2% admitted to selling drugs to subordinates
- 2% admitted to selling drugs to superiors
As well, some drug users apparently find it convenient to get their illicit drugs at work. Though 58% said they don’t buy drugs on the job:
- 7% said they have purchased drugs from co-workers
- 6% said they’ve purchased drugs from co-workers, superiors, and subordinates
- 3% have purchased drugs from subordinates
- 1% have purchased drugs from superiors
We know from these results that the problem of illicit drug use is not limited to employees. Even bosses, supervisors, and other “superiors” (including business owners?) are using, selling, and purchasing drugs while on the job. This may influence decisions about drug testing.
Why Some Employers Stop Marijuana Testing
In a 2025 survey of drug testing providers conducted by the Current Consulting Group,[vi] when asked why some employers have dropped testing for marijuana, 13% said they don’t want to know who the marijuana users are, 7% said they don’t believe it’s right to test for marijuana, and 3.4% said they probably use marijuana themselves and don’t want to be hypocrites.
Drug Test Cheating Is on the Rise
Another significant finding from the survey of 1,000+ illicit drug-using employees was the fact that there’s a lot of drug test cheating occurring. Just over 23% admitted they have cheated on a drug test. And how have they cheated?
- 5% by a detox drink
- 4% using a urine substitution
- 6% by urine dilution with water
- 7% using synthetic urine
- 9% using a diuretic
These results jibe with a 2024 report from the annual Drug Testing Index from Quest Diagnostics. According to Quest’s official press release, “The percentage of employees in the general U.S. workforce whose drug test showed signs of tampering increased by more than six-fold in 2023 versus the prior year, the highest rate ever in more than 30 years of annual reporting.”[vii]
The report added the following: “The increased rate of both substituted and invalid specimens indicates that some American workers are going to great lengths to attempt to subvert the drug testing process,” said Suhash Harwani, Ph.D., Senior Director of Science for Workforce Health Solutions at Quest Diagnostics.
The Employer’s Responsibility
We also know that many illicit drug users get high just before or while on their way to work, use, buy, and sell drugs while on the job, and try to subvert drug tests by various means. All of which should be more than enough evidence to convince any employer that he or she must do everything possible to deter drug use at work, discourage employees from showing up for work high on illicit drugs, and prevent them from bringing drugs into the workplace to share or sell.
Conclusion
Thanks to the legalization of marijuana and the decreasing perception of harm caused by illicit drug use, more people are using drugs—especially marijuana—fewer employers are conducting drug testing for marijuana, and more marijuana abusers are getting hired. This has resulted in the percentage of employees in the general U.S. workforce testing positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident increasing to its highest level in 25 years in 2022, according to Quest Diagnostics.[viii]
A clearly worded drug testing policy that prohibits these actions, with real consequences for violations of the policy, backed up by a legally compliant drug testing program, can go a long way toward making workplaces safer and more productive—and places where the vast majority of your employees who are not drug users want to work.
Take control of your workplace safety today. Contact the Current Consulting Group to review your drug-free workplace policy, ensure compliance, and protect your organization from the risks of employee drug use. Click here to get started.
© 2010-2025 Current Consulting Group, LLC. – No portion of this article may be reproduced, retransmitted, posted on a website, or used in any manner without the written consent of the Current Consulting Group, LLC. When permission is granted to reproduce this article in any way, full attribution to the author and copyright holder is required.
[i] Highlights for the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). SAMHSA. Feb. 2025. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH%202023%20Annual%20Release/2023-nsduh-main-highlights.pdf
[ii] Marijuana, hallucinogen use at all-time high among young adults. University of Michigan. Aug 2022. https://news.umich.edu/marijuana-hallucinogen-use-at-all-time-high-among-young-adults/
[iii] Drugged Out Daily Grind: Drug Use in the Workplace. Detox. https://www.detox.com/explore/drugged-out-daily-grind/
[iv] Dropping THC Testing is Risky Business. CCDAP Newsletter. 2nd Quarter 2024. https://ccdapp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CCDAPP-Newsletter-Q2-2024.pdf
[v] Scientists put the stopwatch on cannabis intoxication. University of Sydney. Apr. 2021. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/04/12/scientists-put-stopwatch-on-cannabis-thc-intoxication-lambert-drug-driving.html
[vi] Current Consulting Group’s 27th Annual Drug Testing Industry Survey. April 2025. CurrentConsultingGroup.com.
[vii] Workforce Drug Test Cheating Surged in 2023. Question Diagnostics Drug Testing Index. May 2024. https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2024-05-15-Workforce-Drug-Test-Cheating-Surged-in-2023,-Finds-Quest-Diagnostics-Drug-Testing-Index-Analysis-of-Nearly-10-Million-Drug-Tests
[viii] Post-Accident Workforce Drug Positivity for Marijuana Reached 25-Year High in 2022. Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index. May 2023. https://newsroom.questdiagnostics.com/2023-05-18-Post-Accident-Workforce-Drug-Positivity-for-Marijuana-Reached-25-Year-High-in-2022,-Quest-Diagnostics-Drug-Testing-Index-Analysis-Finds
