Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
British Columbia first province to decriminalize simple drug possession
On May 31, the federal government announced that starting on Jan. 31, 2023, British Columbia will become the first province in Canada to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use. The decision was made following the request by the...
Opinion: Alberta pushing to expand one drug addictions program that actually works
In a recent opinion article published by the Edmonton Journal, David Staples discussed the current ongoing provincial government program that has gained strong support from all sides of the political spectrum. The program is led by Grace Froese of the John Howard...
Saskatoon drug-related roadside driving suspensions spiked in 2021
According to data released by the Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), 523 drivers failed roadside drug tests, and had their vehicles seized and licences suspended for three days in 2021. Compared to data collected in 2020, these numbers correspond to a six-fold...
Experts criticize Alberta safe supply committee report
Earlier in May, a group of over 50 clinicians and researchers from across Canada, including one director of harm-reduction research at Yale University, published an open letter criticizing the Alberta government's commissioned report on safe supply. As part of its...
Upcoming SAMHSA meeting to discuss hair testing and workplace cannabis testing
According to a recent Notice of Meeting published on the U.S. Federal Register Website, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Prevention's (CSAP) Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) will hold an online...
U.S. miner’s suspension upheld after legal sleep aid caused failed drug test
A three-member majority of the state Supreme Court upheld the mandatory six-month suspension for Bobby Beavers, a West Virginia coal miner who had taken a legal, over-the-counter sleep aid and then failed a mandatory, random workplace drug test the next day. The...
Drug decriminalization talks intensify in Saskatoon
Members of the Saskatoon Board of Police Commissions held a meeting in April to discuss drug decriminalization for Saskatoon. Attendees of the meeting included members of the Saskatoon police service, city council, and the public, as well as a University of...
Ontario judge rules legal limit for THC impairment is constitutional
Earlier in April, a Brampton judge overseeing the trial of a driver who struck and killed a woman and her three young daughters in a 2020 crash has rejected his challenge of the law on cannabis-impaired driving. Last year, Brady Robertson had pleaded guilty to four...
London fraternity investigated for alleged drugging of women
A London, Ontario fraternity, Zeta Psi, is currently being investigated following a party where several women were drugged and needed to be taken to the hospital. The party took place at Zeta Psi in January, located at 116 Mill Street in downtown London, and included...