Washington – Today, following President Trump signing an executive order that reclassifies marijuana as a Schedule III substance, Ӱɴý' Vice President of Safety Policy Brenna Lyles issued this statement:
“While we do not hold a formal position on marijuana legalization or deregulation, we are concerned about the safety risks of rescheduling marijuana without explicit safeguards to preserve the testing authority and technical requirements that apply to DOT-regulated, safety-sensitive workers. A safe driver is a qualified driver. And a qualified driver is drug- and alcohol-free. Motor carriers must retain reliable, enforceable tools to ensure they are not putting unqualified drivers behind the wheel.
“Without clear measures to ensure DOT’s drug- and alcohol-testing program retains—and is equipped to execute—marijuana testing authority, such a federal policy shift could have serious consequences for highway safety and the integrity of the national transportation network. This risk is exacerbated by the fact that there is currently no proven, widely accepted standard to determine marijuana impairment at roadside or before a driver begins operating a vehicle, making it far more difficult to prevent impaired driving.
"The stakes are not theoretical. Marijuana accounts for nearly 60 percent of all positive drug tests among commercial drivers subject to DOT testing requirements.
"We appreciate the Department of Transportation’s ongoing commitment to highway safety and its work to strengthen driver qualification and enforcement standards. We urge DOT to proactively coordinate with HHS, DOJ, and Congress to ensure that any federal policy shift preserves a holistic approach to safety, one that maintains the authority, tools, and technical capacity necessary to keep impaired and unqualified drivers off our roads.”