Federal agencies recently changed how they classify state-licensed medical marijuana, lowering it from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. However, pot used for recreational purposes remains a Schedule 1 substance.
A major trucking organization continues to raise concerns about what the change means to the Department of Transportation’s drug testing policies for the trucking industry.
Following the action by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration, American Trucking Associations Vice President of Safety Policy Brenna Lyles issued this statement:
“We are reviewing DEA’s announcement and assessing what near- and long-term impacts it could have on USDOT’s drug and alcohol testing program. The American Trucking Associations does not take a formal position on marijuana legalization. However, we are concerned about the safety risks of rescheduling it without clear safeguards to preserve USDOT’s testing authority for safety-sensitive workers.
“A safe driver is a qualified driver. And a qualified driver is drug- and alcohol-free. As we’ve seen with recent events and the increase in enforcement from USDOT, it’s critically important that drivers of 80,000-pound vehicles are unimpaired and fit to operate that equipment.
“Absent clear protections for USDOT’s marijuana testing authority, a policy shift could undermine the Department’s drug- and alcohol-testing program and weaken highway safety. That risk is compounded by the lack of a reliable, widely accepted standard to measure marijuana impairment, whether roadside or before a driver gets behind the wheel.
“We appreciate USDOT’s continued focus on safety and efforts to strengthen driver qualification and enforcement standards. Now it must work with HHS, DOJ, and Congress to ensure any policy change preserves the authority, tools, and technical capacity needed to keep impaired and unqualified drivers off our roads.”
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