Excerpted from an American Trucking Association Blog
During a House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on June 27, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed that his agency believes that the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposal to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug will not impact the transportation industry’s ability to screen for marijuana.
Secretary Buttigieg directed his comments to Congressman Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas), who cited two letters that the American Trucking Associations has sent to federal agencies seeking clarity on this major policy shift that could have negative consequences for highway safety.
“We are grateful to Congressman Crawford for elevating this serious issue, and we appreciate Secretary Buttigieg’s focus on providing the transportation industry with the clarity it needs to continue screening for marijuana use among safety-sensitive transportation workers,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “If the trucking industry’s ability to conduct drug testing for marijuana use were to be restricted, a heightened risk of impaired drivers would threaten our nation’s roadways. DOT and ATA share the goals of achieving zero highway fatalities and ensuring the commercial driving workforce is qualified to safely operate, which is why we are committed to partnering with DOT to mitigate harmful impacts caused by the potential reclassification of marijuana.”
Marijuana and alcohol remain the most detected drugs in impaired driving crashes resulting in serious or fatal injuries. Between 2000 and 2018, crash deaths involving marijuana more than doubled, from 9% to 21.5%. Immediately following Canada’s 2018 legalization of marijuana, the country’s emergency rooms saw a 94% increase in the rate of marijuana-involved traffic injuries.
In response to Congressman Crawford’s line of questioning today, Secretary Buttigieg explicitly stated that USDOT anticipates that it will maintain the authority to conduct testing of marijuana use by commercial motor vehicle drivers and other safety-sensitive transportation workers.
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