The National Transportation Safety Board has raised concerns about the planned federal rescheduling of cannabis, saying the move could potentially affect drug testing for those working in transportation and other safety-sensitive positions.
In a letter Friday to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the NTSB said the proposed rule to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act would mean an end to drug testing for workers subject to either U.S. Department of Transportation or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services testing mandates.
The NTSB noted that HHS-certified laboratories currently used for such testing are not authorized to test for Schedule III substances.
“This would mean that airline pilots, airline maintenance workers, bus and truck drivers, locomotive engineers, subway train operators, ship captains, pipeline operators, personnel transporting hazardous materials, and other safety-sensitive transportation employees would be prevented from being tested for marijuana use,” the NTSB’s letter states.
The NTSB urged the DEA to table its proposed rule until additional measures are implemented to ensure continued drug testing procedures for certain workers.
