A group of transportation and public safety organizations has raised concerns over the Trump administration’s effort to reclassify marijuana, warning that the move could weaken long-standing drug testing requirements for workers in safety-critical roles.
The coalition, led by the American Trucking Associations, sent a letter on Monday to senior federal officials, urging them to protect existing cannabis testing programs for pilots, truck drivers, transit employees, and other workers whose jobs directly affect public safety.
In the letter addressed to DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the organizations cautioned that any changes to federal marijuana policy should not undermine employers’ ability to screen employees for cannabis use.
They argue that transportation safety has not received sufficient attention during the ongoing rulemaking process. The group urged federal agencies involved in the review to coordinate their efforts and ensure that safety protections remain intact before any final decision is made.
Their concerns come after the Transportation Department issued updated guidance in May stating that marijuana remains prohibited for employees performing safety-sensitive duties, including pilots, commercial truck drivers, and other transportation workers.
According to the department, workers cannot rely on state-authorized medical cannabis as an acceptable explanation for a positive drug test since cannabis products approved under state laws are not recognized as federally approved medications by the FDA.
The coalition said the Transportation Department’s testing system depends on laboratory standards and workplace drug testing guidelines established by the HHS. Although DOT has indicated that cannabis testing will continue after rescheduling, the organizations said it remains uncertain whether the agency will still have access to the same scientific standards and certified laboratory network if federal drug policies change.
The letter argues that losing that framework could leave employers with legal authority to conduct testing but without the established procedures needed to administer reliable and consistent screening programs.
The organizations warned that the consequences could extend across multiple sectors, including trucking, aviation, rail, public transit, pipelines, and maritime transportation. They noted that no scientifically validated test currently exists to measure real-time cannabis impairment, making existing drug testing programs one of the few available tools to identify recent cannabis use among employees responsible for critical operations.
To address those concerns, the coalition asked federal officials to guarantee continued cannabis testing for regulated transportation workers, reaffirm employers’ authority to conduct those tests, maintain HHS’s laboratory certification standards, and develop a coordinated federal strategy that addresses the safety implications of marijuana rescheduling.
As the rulemaking process progresses, entities in the marijuana industry, such as TerrAscend Corp. (TSX: TSND) (OTCQX: TSNDF), will be monitoring the discussions and any decisions made so that they can plan their future strategies with those insights in mind.
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