Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry News
Review: Clearing the smoke on cannabis
A research report released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction entitled “Clearing the Smoke on Cannabis – Regular Use and Cognitive Functioning” evaluates a large number of scientific studies on the effects of cannabis use on cognitive functions and...
Synthetic urine use on the rise
With more companies and organizations implementing drug testing, the market for synthetic urine is undergoing a rapid growth. Synthetic urine can be created in a laboratory using a mixture of urea, water, creatinine and/or uric acid. Urinalysis testing employs two...
Opioid crisis update: 10,000 deaths 2016-2018
According to new data released by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), more than 10,000 Canadians have died from opioid overdoses over the period of 2016-2018. The findings released in the report demonstrate that the opioid crisis has affected every part of...
NL holds up employer’s refusal to hire medical cannabis user
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador recently upheld an arbitration decision to dismiss a grievance filed by a union on behalf of an employee who was not hired for a safety-sensitive construction project position because of his use of cannabis for medicinal...
Fentanyl circulates as fake Xanax in Halifax
According to frontline addictions workers in the Halifax area, there is a significant increase in the number of fake Xanax pills laced with the lethal opioid fentanyl circulating on the streets. Xanax is the brand name for a type of benzodiazepine medication typically...
DOT calls for vigilance in drug testing
Since the Cannabis Act came into effect, in October of 2018, many Canadian logistics companies have expressed concerns regarding how the legalization of cannabis could affect the transportation industry. Moreover, under the new impaired driving laws passed by the...
Cannabis act sentencing begins in Winnipeg
A Winnipeg resident, Rodney Clayton Felix, 31, pled guilty on April 2 for possession of cannabis for the purpose of distributing under the federal Cannabis Act. Rodney Felix was found with 85 grams of cannabis in Portage Place mall in November 2018 when electronics...
International drug smugglers busted in Ontario
Ontario Police have dismantled an international drug ring with connections to the United States and Mexico. The OPP seized a total of 55 kilograms of cocaine being smuggled in a transport truck from California, worth a street value of $5.5 million, according to Deputy...
Ontario’s PCs looking to have alcohol sold in convenience stores
With the Progressive Conservative government finishing its first budget for April 11 and appointing a special adviser for its review of alcohol sales, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association is hoping to be able to sell beer and wine in convenience stores by...