WASHINGTON — With President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signing an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, the trucking industry and other groups are speaking out.
Truckload Carriers Association (TCA)
“Looking at this change through a lens focused on commercial motor vehicle and highway safety, TCA has concerns that this reclassification could carry unintended consequences for an industry that prohibits truck drivers from using it,” TCA said. “Notifications such as these often lead to misinterpretations of federal regulations, but even with the rescheduling, we must continually stress that marijuana use, even medical marijuana, is strictly prohibited.”
Additionally, reclassification may complicate transportation safety and enforcement measures, according to TCA.
“Unlike alcohol, there is no universally accepted standard for determining impairment at the roadside and it has been over ten years since the FAST Act called for hair testing as an alternative measure to satisfy the drug testing protocols prescribed by DOT,” TCA said. “As an industry, we continue to support this alternative measure and call for the passage of HR 4320, the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse Public Safety Improvement Act of 2025, a bill that would require positive hair test results be included in the federal clearinghouse. This bill would ensure that motor carriers can share positive hair test results with other carriers through clearinghouse, before they ever get behind the wheel of a truck, and essential tool that would continue making our roadways safer.”
National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA)
The NDASA is calling on the Administration and Congress to take immediate action to protect public safety following the order.
NDASA warns that this action creates confusion and uncertainty regarding the continued authority for drug testing of safety-sensitive employees who operate on the nation’s roadways, in the skies, on waterways, and throughout public transportation systems.
Transportation Safety at Risk
“The general public deserves absolute certainty that school bus drivers, airline pilots, air traffic controllers, truck drivers, transit operators, mariners, pipeline operators and other safety-sensitive workers are not impaired while performing their duties,” said Patrice M. Kelly, the longest-serving director of the Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Kelly noted that the action creates confusion that could put transportation safety at risk.
“Immediate action is imperative to maintain safety through marijuana testing for airline pilots, air traffic controllers, school bus drivers, truckers, transit operators, mariners, pipeline operators and all other transportation safety-sensitive employees,” Kelly said.
Why a Transportation Safety Carveout is Necessary
According to NDASA, federal law grants the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) authority over which substances may be included in federally authorized drug testing programs. With marijuana no longer classified as a Schedule I controlled substance, HHS would be required to remove it from the federal drug testing panel.
USDOT, which mandates testing for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, amphetamines and opioids, is legally required to follow HHS drug testing guidelines. If HHS is no longer permitted to test for marijuana, USDOT would likewise be forced to remove marijuana from its testing panel.
“Absent a specific safety carveout, this regulatory shift would eliminate marijuana testing for DOT-regulated employees — including school bus drivers, commercial truck drivers, airline pilots, air traffic controllers, transit operators, mariners and pipeline operators — effectively allowing individuals to legally be impaired while performing safety-critical functions,” NDASA said.
Ringing the Alarm for Safety
According to NDASA, the potential consequences for public safety and U.S. employers are alarming. According to the National Safety Council, marijuana users experience 85 percent more workplace injuries and 55 percent more industrial accidents compared to non-users.
“NDASA stresses that a narrowly tailored transportation safety carveout would preserve long-standing federal authority to prevent impairment in safety-sensitive roles, maintain consistency across federal agencies and ensure continued public confidence in national transportation safety standards,” NDASA said.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
