Technically you're not considered "hired" by a company until they get your paperwork entered into their system (particularly if you are talking larger companies). If their procedure is not to enter you into their system until they get the results of your drug test, and if the hiring freeze was put in place before your results arrived - that means they have no way to enter you into their system until the freeze is lifted.
They could get you working, but would have no means to log your time or pay you.
Ask around to see if these type of hiring freezes is common for this company, and if so, how long do the freezes last to decide whether it's worth waiting around for it.
My instinct would be to keep searching for other jobs in the mean time. Who knows, maybe you'll find something better.
My info is entered into their system. I was there when they done it. I actually entered part of it in myself while sitting beside the manager. The company is Walmart. If something else comes along then no it isn't worth waiting for. But I have been looking for a while and this is all that has come along. I have been looking the past few days. There just isn't anything to find. Honestly, this hiring freeze (I don't even know if it is real because I am good friends with a manager there and she knew nothing about it and she worked yesterday) if it really happened just happened like today. lol. I sort of wondered if they are waiting to see if we go to war again. I don't know. I am just really frustrated.
With a company as big as Walmart, just because they started an electronic file doesn't mean the file was submitted to corporate offices. Most likely they needed to wait for your test results to enter those onto the file, then submit it to human resources for processing. When a freeze goes into effect, write access to all applications in process cannot be edited or be further processed in the system. It's not until the human resources department registers your file as an active employee, assigns you an employee number, etc that one is considered "hired".
In larger companies like Walmart, getting your file stuck somewhere along the long bureaucratic hiring chain is possible. Typically doesn't happen, but based on the timing it is possible.
When I was hired at my company years ago (yes, I've been fortunate) - it took 3 weeks for them to process my application before I was finally officially "hired" - even after I did the tests and filled out paperwork, etc.
Now is the hiring manager in your particular location telling you a tale or is there really a freeze? Don't know. Good luck if you are still searching, and hope that "freeze" is lifted soon.