U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-CO) is urging the Department of Transportation to reform and modernize cannabis testing requirements for commercial truck drivers.
Blumenauer, co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said that thousands of commercial drivers have been forced out of the profession due to imprecise testing practices that trigger penalties for using state-legal medical or adult-use cannabis in the days or weeks prior to testing.
“As the United States faces an unprecedented supply chain crisis, tens of thousands of commercial drivers are being disqualified from service due to past cannabis use. These disqualifications deny people the right to earn a living, reduce the workforce when drivers are desperately needed, and penalize people of color and patients who legally use medical cannabis,” Blumenauer wrote. “This crisis must be treated with urgency. Your department should rapidly reform requirements for testing drivers and returning them to service, as well as develop an accurate test for impairment,” Blumenauer wrote to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The congressman said the Transportation Department should look at more reliable cannabis test options that avoid sweeping up innocent drivers while also keeping roads safe from those who are truly impaired.
“The federal government should be making it easier for already-qualified drivers to stay in the profession, not forcing them away. Outmoded and unfair federal drug policies are out of step with reality and directly contribute to the trucking shortage crisis. Too many of the 2.8 million Americans who hold commercial driver licenses are not working because of past cannabis tests and the difficulty they face re-qualifying for duty. Getting these trained, qualified, and capable drivers back on the road will unsnarl supply chains faster and more efficiently,” he added.