Marijuana has Been Rescheduled

Marijuana has been reclassified from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. Now, many DOT-regulated employers are asking the same question: Does this change anything for DOT drug testing?

The short answer is no, not from a DOT compliance standpoint.

What does the marijuana reclassification change? 

The federal government now recognizes some accepted medical marijuana use with lower risk; however, marijuana is still not federally legal. All DOT-regulated employers must still include marijuana on their drug testing panels and follow all federal testing requirements.

A positive THC test is still a violation, which means the employee must be removed from safety-sensitive duties immediately, the violation must be reported to the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, and the employee cannot return to work until completing the SAP DOT return to duty process.

There are no exceptions to this based on state laws or prescribed medical use.

How DOT-Regulated Employers Should Handle the Marijuana Rescheduling 

As marijuana laws continue to evolve, many current CDL drivers and applicants may assume marijuana use is now acceptable. That is not the case for DOT-regulated roles, but that misunderstanding can lead to more positive drug tests and Clearinghouse violations. For employers, this can quickly turn into a compliance and hiring challenge.

All employees need to know that marijuana is still prohibited under DOT regulations, and that message needs to be reinforced regularly, especially as laws continue to change.