Marijuana remains off-limits for truckers, even as more states move toward legalization

As more states legalize the use of marijuana, questions continue to arise about whether drug testing rules and protocols will change for DOT-regulated drivers. More than half of the states in the U.S. have approved the drug for medicinal and/or recreational use to date, and many CMV drivers are wondering if they live or work in a state that has legalized pot, does that mean they can partake without any consequences?

The Department of Transportation says, “No.” Marijuana is still illegal under the federal law, meaning all employees who are subject to federally-mandated drug testing are still prohibited from using the drug. This group of employees includes anyone who operates commercial vehicles. The DOT has made it perfectly clear that the state initiatives will have no bearing on the Department of Transportation’s regulated drug testing program.

Even if you live in a state where marijuana is legal and you have been prescribed the drug for medical reasons, you are still prohibited under federal law to use the drug while employed as a CMV driver and will still be required to take DOT-mandated drug tests.

One of the many services offered at Compliance Navigation Specialists is the Drug & Alcohol Consortium Administration Services, available to companies that are regulated by Federal and State government. Our DOT Drug & Alcohol Testing Compliance Services include: pre-employment screening; computerized random selection; regulatory review of compliance records; compliance management reports; administrative testing services; more than 10,000 collection site locations; statistical reporting; and more.

Contact us with your questions about drug and alcohol screening or if you’d like to learn more.

888-260-9448 or info@cnsprotects.com

Contributed by Shirley Burkholder, DOT Specialist at Compliance Navigation Specialists