Michigan removing marijuana from many pre-employment drug tests in fall

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Smoking marijuana will no longer bar you from a job with the State of Michigan.

The Michigan Civil Service Commission voted to remove marijuana from the pre-employment drug screening for most jobs beginning Oct. 1. 

Exceptions include jobs requiring a commercial driver's license or those that operate heavy machinery, law enforcement, healthcare workers, jobs that work with prisoners, employees with unsupervised access to controlled substances, and jobs handling explosive materials. 

Currently, prospective employees who test positive for marijuana are banned from state positions for three years. According to the outlined changes, about 350 people have tested positive for marijuana on the pre-employment test since December 2018, when recreational marijuana was legalized in the state.

The changes mean that some of the people still in that three-year period will now be eligible for jobs with the state. 

Drug screenings will still include cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine after the October changes go into effect.