U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg confirmed that President Joe Biden's proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III will not change drug testing policies for commercial trucker drivers.

Responding to that concern from lawmakers at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Thursday, Buttigieg noted the Department of Transportation (DOT) specifically lists marijuana as a substance to screen for, regardless of its classification.

"Our understanding of the rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III is that it would not alter DOT’s marijuana testing requirements with respect to the regulated community," said Buttigieg in response to a question from Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) who cited two letters from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) warning against loosening restrictions on marijuana testing.

"For private individuals who are performing safety-sensitive functions, subject to drug testing, marijuana is identified by name, not by reference to one of those classes. So even if it was in its classification, we do not believe that that would have a direct impact on that authority," Buttigieg continued, reports FreightWaves.

He acknowledged that any impaired driving, whether from alcohol, marijuana or other substances, is a significant safety concern and that the DOT is continuously evaluating the potential indirect impacts of rescheduling marijuana.  

In a Thursday statement, ATA president Chris Spear thanked Crawford for bringing up the issue and Buttigieg for upholding the cannabis screening process among safety-sensitive transportation workers.

"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," Spear stated. "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."

Related news: Truck Drivers To DEA: Reschedule Cannabis, Alcohol Is Leading Cause Of Auto Accidents Compared To ‘Zero Percent With Marijuana’

Truck Drivers Weigh In

Among the public comments filed as part of the DEA’s rule-making process to move forward with rescheduling, trucker drivers weighed in last week.

“As a truck driver in the United States I would like to be able to use marijuana on my time off just the same as any driver can come home and drink alcohol on their time off,” stated one commenter. “I believe it is unfair that I can lose my job and my license if I have used marijuana and a month later I can still lose my job if I come out ‘dirty’ in a random drug test. The statistics are there and proven that alcohol is the leading cause of death in car accidents compared to nearly zero percent with marijuana.”

This and other controversial topics will be on the menu at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago this Oct. 8-9. Join us to get more insight into what cannabis legalization means for the future of investing in the industry. Hear directly from top executives, investors, advocates, and policymakers. Get your tickets now before prices go up by following this link.

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