The American Trucking Associations, an organization representing the trucking industry, recently sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, advocating against a U.S. Department of Justice’s proposal to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug.
The organization asked if the U.S. Department of Transportation would maintain the authority to test commercial motor vehicle drivers and other transportation workers for marijuana use.
Crash deaths involving marijuana increased from 9 percent to 21.5 percent between 2000 and 2018.
“…[I]t is critical for transportation safety that we maintain the scope and scrutiny of testing that currently exists for individuals engaged in safety-sensitive industries, including commercial trucking, bussing, airlines, and rail,” Dan Horvath, American Trucking Associations senior vice president of regulatory affairs and safety policy, said in the letter.
Without federal authority to conduct testing, industries that screen workers would operate under a cloud of uncertainty, the organization said.
The organization also is concerned that restricting marijuana testing would heightened the risk of impaired drivers on the roadways.
Unlike blood alcohol content, there is no standard for marijuana impairment.
Last month, the organization also contacted the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Transportation on the matter.