Class A Drivers’ Post

🚛💨 "Tens of thousands of workers are leaving the commercial trucking industry because the federal government refuses to update its antiquated marijuana policies," Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, wrote in a Marijuana Moment op-ed earlier this year. "Fewer truckers on the road results in supply chain shortages and higher prices for the goods Americans rely on." #NORML #cannabis #cannabisnews #cannabiscommunity #cannabispolicy #cannabislaw #cannabisresearch #cannabisindustry #medicalcannabis #marijuana #marijuananews #marijuanamovement #medicalmarijuana #legalize #legalizeit #legalization #trucking #truckers #drugtesting

Marijuana legalization across the US is changing the landscape for the transport and logistics industry. With 21 states legalizing recreational use, the challenge of ensuring driver safety is more pressing than ever. Data shows that post-legalization, there's been an 18% increase in positive drug tests among truck drivers. Traditional drug testing methods are falling short. Urine and saliva tests can detect usage days after the fact, but they don't necessarily indicate current impairment. This gap in testing has seen more than 100,000 drivers test positive for marijuana and be removed from duty from 2020 through 2022. Fingerprint sweat testing, a quick, non-invasive method, provides real-time results on recent drug use. This approach ensures safety and respects driver privacy, keeping our roads safe as laws evolve. https://bit.ly/3wZT67q #transport #logistics #trucking #drugtest #marijuana

"Marijuana isn't becoming 'legal' on a federal level for quite some time. In the trucking industry... it's important to be clear that absolutely nothing will change with marijuana policy for a minimum of a few years." According to Alex Lockie at Overdrive, "In short, the entire nation has mellowed on marijuana, and now a wide majority of consumers can enjoy marijuana without fear of criminal penalty. For CBD users who don't hold CDLs, there's almost nothing to worry about from state or federal authorities. "But drivers, stay away. If you hear some rumor about weed becoming legal or rescheduling, push back. You're more likely to legally pull a reefer of marijuana-infused soda cross country than to pull on a joint without fear of career repercussions for the next few years." #truckingsafety #trucker #TruckDriving #transportationindustry #fleetowner #fleetmanagement #owneroperator #cdldriver https://lnkd.in/gK3xQXgW

Not surprising provided the lack of supporting data needed to define impairment at identified intoxication levels and the multiple variables that would need to be considered to make that determination. Rescheduling will no doubt cause a ripple affect throughout the industry, whether due to carelessness or confusion, but U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration really has no choice here but to hold the line. The fact that drivers should be free of impairment and alert while operating a CMV is hopefully not something the industry struggles to find agreement on. #transportation #logistics #trucking #safety #compliance

The evolving landscape of marijuana legalization indeed poses significant challenges for the transport and logistics industry, particularly in ensuring driver safety. With 21 states now allowing recreational use, the increase in positive drug tests among truck drivers is concerning. Traditional drug testing methods, such as urine and saliva tests, fall short as they cannot accurately measure current impairment. Introducing more advanced testing methods, like fingerprint sweat testing, can be a game-changer. This non-invasive technique offers real-time results on recent drug use, helping us to maintain safety standards without compromising driver privacy. Adopting such innovations will be crucial in adapting to these new laws and keeping our roads safe. Let's continue to prioritize safety and embrace technologies that support our industry in these changing times. #MarijuanaLegalization #TransportIndustry #Logistics #DriverSafety #DrugTesting #Innovation #Technology #RoadSafety #LogisticsSolutions ---

As more states have legalized recreational marijuana, teens and adults tend to underestimate the risks of driving under its influence [National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy]. This is an incredibly sad story. It is also the type of story that many people turn a blind eye to when discussing #legalization of #marijuana. SADD Nation continues to implement discussions around this topic when working with our youth across the country, especially when it comes to #trafficsafety and #substanceuse. Especially as marijuana laws continue to change, long gone are the days of just addressing alcohol and driving. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): effects of specific drugs on driving skills differ depending on how they act in the brain. For example, marijuana can slow reaction time, impair judgment of time and distance, and decrease coordination. Drivers who have used cocaine or methamphetamine can be aggressive and reckless when driving. Certain kinds of prescription medicines, including benzodiazepines and opioids, can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and impair cognitive functioning (thinking and judgment). All of these effects can lead to vehicle crashes. https://lnkd.in/gkVvKD6y #Druggeddriving #SADD #SADDNation

Legalization of Marijuana for CDL Drivers With the talk of rescheduling Marijuana from a schedule 1 drug to a schedule 3 there is a lot of thoughts and ideas buzzing around. Today in OverDrive publication there was an article about some Democratic senators wanting it descheduled completely. That opens a whole new can of worms. Marijuana is stored in the fat cells for a much longer time that other schedule one drugs which leave the body in just over a day or so. This brought up the concept that a driver may never have driven impaired at all. He may have smoked some at a party and gone home and by the time he drove a CMV, he was no longer impaired. This sparked the conversation about how would they test roadside for a drug like this and even if the drug showed up what did it really mean? Then the article talked about having a skills test to actually measure your ability to function. What an idea, I immediately thought, good idea, then went right to thoughts of the courts having a heyday and what if the test was passed and 10 minutes later the driver was in an awful crash. Who is at fault, the inspector that passed him or the driver and company or both? So many drivers are testing positive, it has had a big impact on the driver pool, so do we stay with what we know? Do we treat it like alcohol? With alcohol, when you test positive you are impaired, with marijuana, you may or may not be impaired. I, myself, think we need to err on the side of caution, guard against potential calamity. Always do the safest thing until we know there is a safe alternative. One thing you can bet , by the time this gets figured out by the FMCSA, a lot of us will be retired. Go government processes! There are some interesting thought processes out there about what could/should happen, what are your thoughts? Makes you hmmmm!

❓What are your thoughts on truck drivers using marijuana? Would shippers trust drivers who use cannabis to transport their cargo? Could reclassification open the door for more drivers to access medical marijuana and improve their health? Several truck drivers advocate for marijuana to be reclassified as Schedule III, despite safety concerns. They argue that the current regulations are unfair when compared to those governing alcohol. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also supports reclassification, citing marijuana's lower potential for abuse. However, the ATA cautions against potential risks in DOT testing limitations if marijuana is rescheduled without exemptions for truck driver testing. #RDSCapacitySolutions #Trucking #Transportation #Logistics

ATA Raises Concerns Over Proposed Marijuana Policy Change 🚛 The American Trucking Associations (ATA) is sounding the alarm about the Biden administration's proposed move to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This change could severely impact truck safety unless proper safeguards are implemented. 🔹 Key Concerns: - Drug Testing Limitations: Currently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) can only test for Schedule I and II drugs. Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III could hinder carriers' ability to test drivers, potentially increasing the risk of truck crashes. - Safety Risks: ATA highlights that marijuana accounts for nearly 60% of all positive drug tests among commercial drivers. They warn that without specific testing regulations for safety-sensitive positions, road safety could be compromised. - Fatal Crashes: Recent tragic incidents, including a multi-vehicle crash in Indiana and a cement-truck collision in Texas, involved truck drivers who had used marijuana. ATA fears more such tragedies if the rescheduling proceeds without adequate measures. 🔹 Official Stance: - ATA: Urges a regulatory review to ensure that rescheduling does not undermine safety protocols. - OOIDA: Calls for careful consideration and feedback, noting the complexities of marijuana testing and its implications for driver influence and safety. The debate continues as the industry seeks to balance evolving drug policies with the imperative of maintaining road safety. Stay tuned for further updates on this critical issue. 🚚💼 #TruckingSafety #MarijuanaPolicy #ATANews #RoadSafety #TransportationIndustry

Legal Marijuana Is Making Roads Deadlier As pot usage surges, sensible regulation is lagging behind. #cannabis #driving #StonerFam Cannabis-related traffic fatalities are a threat to public safety. Governments need to get serious. Marijuana legalization is killing a lot of people. Not slowly — though some studies suggest that it may be doing that, too — but quickly, in car crashes. It’s one more symptom of the disastrous rush by lawmakers to capitalize on cannabis sales without doing the hard work needed to keep the public safe. In Canada, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, one study found a 475% increase in emergency-room visits for cannabis-related crashes in Ontario between 2010 and 2021. Many more cases likely went undetected, owing to a dearth of reliable testing for driving while high. In the US, the proportion of motor-vehicle fatalities involving cannabis use soared to 21.5% in 2018, up from 9% in 2000. One analysis found a 10% increase in vehicular deaths, on average, following legalization by states. In California, the increase was 14%; in Oregon, it was 22%. This suggests that more than 1,000 Americans could be dying annually because of marijuana-related accidents — and that’s just in states where legalization has occurred. Given the ease of transporting the drug across state lines, the real number could be far higher. https://lnkd.in/gWe2Vmbg