420 with CNW — Carriers Requested to Share Views on Cannabis Policy vs. Trucking
In light of the rising number of states that have legalized marijuana, the American Transportation Research Institute is seeking feedback from carriers on whether federal drug testing regulations for CDL holders should be altered. Currently, recreational cannabis is legal in more than 20 states, with Missouri and Maryland being the latest to legalize it.
The survey, which was introduced on Feb. 15, 2023, seeks to learn more about the impact legalized marijuana has had on the workforce in the trucking sector. Motor carrier executives and employees who are familiar with the procedures for hiring, retaining and testing drivers for drugs are invited to respond to the survey. Individuals can complete the survey online and submit their responses until March 17, 2023.
There are 24 questions in the survey; the questions cover topics such as hiring procedures for carriers, the handling of different drug offenses, and whether respondents have seen an increase in positive drug tests or candidates quitting when they are required to take a drug test.
The survey allows carriers to expound on certain topics, including:
concerns about the impact of legalization on insurance rates and drivers
preference between drug tests that measure a recruit’s or driver’s cannabis impairment or use within the past 24 hours as opposed to the current test, which can pick up use a few weeks prior
number of cannabis-related positive tests submitted by a carrier to the FMCSA between 2019 and 2022
drivers who have rejoined a company after successfully completing the necessary return-to-duty procedure.
ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee deemed research on the effects of legal cannabis a top priority for 2022. The group states that the new data will supplement its 2019 study on the impact of cannabis legalization on road safety.
According to driver data collected by the FMCSA from January 2020 to April 2022, 98% of testing results involved drugs rather than alcohol. At that time, marijuana outperformed all other drugs in terms of positive outcomes. In 2022, almost 41,000 truck drivers tested positive for marijuana use, a 32% increase from the year before.
Even though it’s unclear what caused the abrupt change, it’s important to note that the FMCSA withholds information regarding the number of driver tests. The increase in positives could thus be explained by an increase in the number of tested drivers.
Whatever the reason, ATRI claims the new information will assist carriers in overcoming the challenges that legalized cannabis may bring about.
Such challenges of legalized cannabis are unlikely to manifest when people who use marijuana medicinally begin accessing the pharmaceutical-grade cannabis-based formulations entities such as India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are taking through the rigorous development process overseen by the FDA and other regulators.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
In light of the rising number of states that have legalized marijuana, the American Transportation Research Institute is seeking feedback from carriers on whether federal drug testing regulations for CDL holders should be altered. Currently, recreational cannabis is legal in more than 20 states, with Missouri and Maryland being the latest to legalize it.
The survey, which was introduced on Feb. 15, 2023, seeks to learn more about the impact legalized marijuana has had on the workforce in the trucking sector. Motor carrier executives and employees who are familiar with the procedures for hiring, retaining and testing drivers for drugs are invited to respond to the survey. Individuals can complete the survey online and submit their responses until March 17, 2023.
There are 24 questions in the survey; the questions cover topics such as hiring procedures for carriers, the handling of different drug offenses, and whether respondents have seen an increase in positive drug tests or candidates quitting when they are required to take a drug test.
The survey allows carriers to expound on certain topics, including:
concerns about the impact of legalization on insurance rates and drivers
preference between drug tests that measure a recruit’s or driver’s cannabis impairment or use within the past 24 hours as opposed to the current test, which can pick up use a few weeks prior
number of cannabis-related positive tests submitted by a carrier to the FMCSA between 2019 and 2022
drivers who have rejoined a company after successfully completing the necessary return-to-duty procedure.
ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee deemed research on the effects of legal cannabis a top priority for 2022. The group states that the new data will supplement its 2019 study on the impact of cannabis legalization on road safety.
According to driver data collected by the FMCSA from January 2020 to April 2022, 98% of testing results involved drugs rather than alcohol. At that time, marijuana outperformed all other drugs in terms of positive outcomes. In 2022, almost 41,000 truck drivers tested positive for marijuana use, a 32% increase from the year before.
Even though it’s unclear what caused the abrupt change, it’s important to note that the FMCSA withholds information regarding the number of driver tests. The increase in positives could thus be explained by an increase in the number of tested drivers.
Whatever the reason, ATRI claims the new information will assist carriers in overcoming the challenges that legalized cannabis may bring about.
Such challenges of legalized cannabis are unlikely to manifest when people who use marijuana medicinally begin accessing the pharmaceutical-grade cannabis-based formulations entities such as India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are taking through the rigorous development process overseen by the FDA and other regulators.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
