Drug Test in CA for Residential Counselor Position
Hello! I am currently in the onboarding process of getting a position as a residential counselor for at-risk youth.
On the job list (ZipRecruiter) it did not state anything about drug testing. I pretty much smoke weed everyday and am always trying to ensure that the jobs I apply to won’t drug test.
However, during orientation (this past Monday), they provided a paper that described their “no drug & alcohol” and a “random drug testing” agreement (stated all employees are in a poll and can randomly get selected for drug testing either pre-employment or after).
Due to this, I am not sure if I should proceed. I stopped smoking after orientation but know that it will take about 1-2 months for it to be out of my system since I am a heavy user. And I’m scared to get randomly tested the first month or so, and lose the job because it comes out positive.
I was planning to talk with the hiring manager again and ask what they look for in a drug test or ask how they feel about weed. If they are against it, I was planning to withdraw and ask them if I can reapply again later on.
Should I do that? If so, how should I ask them?
(also I understand weed is legal in CA, but I've been reading that federal jobs or jobs that receive federal funding can fire or not hire people because of it)
Posted Mar 12, 2025, 8:06 PM UTC