CBDs: What Employers Need to Know

Feb 14, 2020, 7:18 PM

(from Liebert Cassidy Whitmore) The recent explosion of CBD products across the U.S. includes lotions, oils and even foods. Unlike THC, CBD does not have psychoactive effects that cause the “high” associated with cannabis. Advertised as wellness products, CBD products claim to naturally cure anxiety, pain, depression, high blood pressure and other ills. CBD products are legal to the extent they are made from hemp and contain less than 0.3% THC.

Researchers tested the accuracy of CBD product labels and found that a significant percentage of tested products contained over the legal amount of THC and most of the labels under- or over-represent the amount of CBD. CBD products can result in a positive drug test if the product is tainted or contains more than the advertised amount of THC. In 2012 researchers found that a common testing method used in urine tests could not differentiate between CBD and THC.

Employers can help employees by educating them as to the risks of using CBD products and by talking to the vendor or laboratory that conducts drug tests and ask whether the specific testing method they use can differentiate between CBD and THC and whether they have procedures in place for identifying false positives caused by CBD.