According to The New York Times, employers are reporting difficulty in finding workers’ who can pass a pre-employment drug test and many applicants do not even apply for jobs when drug testing is a requirement.

Some industries, like trucking, are mandated by federal law to drug test their employees for safety reasons. Since 2013 Quest Diagnostics has found an increasing number of workers’ who have tested positive. The firm’s most recent report revealed that 4.7 percent of U.S. workers’ tested positive for illicit drugs in 2014. At least one state, Georgia, has discussed developing a program to provide drug counseling to individuals who test positive and assist them with job placement.

It should be noted that in North Carolina, an employee will not receive workers’’ compensation benefits for a workplace injury if being under the influence of drugs caused the injury. At the end of the day, workers’ who use recreational drugs like marijuana should be aware that there are jobs potentially available, but if they want to get these jobs they need to make a lifestyle change. If drug use involves addiction, click here for assistance in North Carolina or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.