Truck Drivers Cannot Be Medical Marijuana Patients

Herb Appeal: medical marijuana liberties don't apply to truckers

11/02/2009

WASHINGTON -- Exemptions from prosecution for those who use medical
marijuana do not trump the Department of Transportation' s prohibition of
the drug used by safety-sensitive transportation employees, including
truck drivers.

A recent Department of Justice guideline for federal prosecutors stated
that the agency would not be changing its regulated drug testing program
based upon these new guidelines, and that transportation employees are
still prohibited from the use of marijuana, medical or not.

Under the agency's Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulation, 49 CFR Part 40,
at 40.151(e), a transportation employee must test negative for
controlled substances.

"It remains unacceptable for any safety-sensitive employee subject to
drug testing under the Department of Transportation' s drug testing
regulations to use marijuana," the rule says.

Thirteen states and most Canadian jurisdictions allow Cannabis use for
medical purposes.

Regardless of any domestic exemptions or outstanding conflict with human
rights guidelines, Canadian truckers must be periodically tested in
order to be allowed to haul into the U.S.

-- with files from Truckinginfo. com

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