ATA pens letter of concern to DOT chief over proposed marijuana reclassification

WASHINGTON — In a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) on Thursday, June 20, expressed concern about the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.

The proposal still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget; it would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs.

However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

ATA officials say that this “major policy shift could have significant negative consequences for highway safety, endangering all who share the road.”

ATA is asking Buttigieg to share whether the U.S. Department of Transportation will maintain the authority and means to conduct testing of marijuana use by commercial motor vehicle drivers and other safety-sensitive transportation workers.

“Without this certainty, industries that must screen workers performing safety-sensitive roles would operate under a cloud of uncertainty,” an ATA news release states. “If the trucking and broader transportation industries’ ability to conduct drug testing for marijuana use is restricted, a heightened risk of impaired drivers threatens our nation’s roadways. The absence of a reliable standard for marijuana impairment — in alignment with blood alcohol content measures for alcohol impairment — makes it all the more vital for motor carriers to have visibility into marijuana usage.”

ATA Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Safety Policy Dan Horvath wrote in the letter to Buttigieg that it 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.”

“While ATA does not maintain a formal position on marijuana legalization or the ongoing testing of non-safety sensitive employees under HHS’s Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs, we remain concerned about the broad public health and safety consequences of reclassification on the national highway system and its users,” the letter states.

Marijuana and alcohol remain the most detected drugs in impaired driving crashes resulting in serious or fatal injuries, according to the ATA.

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.

“Though ATA understands that the process and content of DOJ’s rulemaking falls outside the purview of DOT, we believe DOT and ATA share the goals of achieving zero highway fatalities and ensuring the commercial driving workforce is qualified to safely operate on our nation’s roadways,” Horvath wrote.

John Worthen

Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.