Drug Testing Industry Group Is ‘Sounding The Alarm’ About Marijuana Rescheduling As Trump Plans Action

A major drug testing industry organization is “sounding the alarm” amid reports
that President Donald Trump may soon finalize a proposal to reschedule
marijuana, arguing that the reform would “have catastrophic consequences
for the safety of the United States workforce and transportation sectors.”

Ahead of a scheduled “National Conversation on the Rescheduling of
Marijuana” webinar this week, National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association
(NDASA) board member Emilee Avery said in a press release that rescheduling
“will dismantle critical safety measures that have protected our roads,
airways, and communities for decades.”

“The guardrails implemented under President Reagan’s administration 30
years ago have been instrumental in ensuring that safety-sensitive
positions, such as truck drivers, school bus drivers, and airline pilots,
remain drug-free,” she said. “This decision threatens to undo all of that
progress.”

A final decision hasn’t been made at this point, but multiple sources have
claimed that there’s an executive order that could be issued imminently,
possibly directing the attorney general to complete the process of moving
marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act
(CSA).

Cannabis industry stakeholders are holding out hope that the reform will be
achieved as soon as possible, but opponents—including NDASA and Smart
Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)—are working to dissuade the administration
before a final decision is made. For what it’s worth, a White House
spokesperson told Marijuana Moment last week that no actions have been
finalized so far.

“Rescheduling by Presidential Order does not come without unintended
consequences that should be addressed,” Jo McGuire, executive director of
NDASA, told Marijuana Moment. “We must consider that drug testing for THC
can only occur at the federal level for the safety-sensitive employee
population (such as airline pilots, school bus drivers, railway workers,
and commercial truck drivers) under Schedule I and II.”

“Let’s not forget that marijuana is still an impairing substance and the
labs will not be approved to test for THC under Schedule III, without a
policy intervention,” she said. “We are also removing foundational,
best-practice protocols that protect public safety from drug-related
accidents, injuries, and fatalities.”

NDASA claimed in a bulletin to its drug testing industry members that if
rescheduling doesn’t come with that it called a “Safety Carve Out,” the
reform “would open the door for school bus drivers, truck drivers, and even
pilots and other transportation positions to use marijuana without
mandatory testing.”

“That means the people we trust with our children, our families, and our
lives could be at risk,” it said.

Several Republican members of Congress are expected to speak at NDASA’s
marijuana rescheduling event on Tuesday.

McGuire told Marijuana Moment that Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) is “confirmed”
and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) is “highly likely.” Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO)
is a “probably,” she said, with two other unnamed lawmakers who are
“waiting to hear about the voting schedule” before confirming.

Mark Magsam, chairman of NDASA, said, “If marijuana is rescheduled without
regard to workplace safety, transportation employees may very well find a
loophole where they would be free from marijuana testing. This poses a
significant risk to the safety of our roads, skies, and rails.”

NDASA was also a participant in a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
hearing on the Biden administration-initiated marijuana rescheduling
proposal, opposing the reform.

Meanwhile, bipartisan congressional lawmakers have been weighing in on the
potential rescheduling decision this week—with Democrats like Rep. Alex
Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) calling the reform a “no-brainer” and others like
Harria pushing back against the proposal.

Trump said in mid-August that he’d be making a decision on rescheduling
within weeks. But despite that timeline and the escalating rumors, a White
House spokesperson told Marijuana Moment on Thursday that “no final
decisions have been made on rescheduling of marijuana.”

The Washington Post reported on Thursday evening that Trump was planning to
issue an executive order directing federal agencies to move ahead with
cannabis rescheduling.

The outlet also said the president met earlier this week in the Oval Office
with marijuana industry executives, Health and Human Services Secretary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Administrator Mehmet Oz. During that meeting, Trump phoned Johnson, the
House speaker, who expressed his opposition to rescheduling cannabis,

If the administration does ultimately enact rescheduling, it would mark one
of the most significant developments in federal marijuana policy since its
prohibition a half a century ago, with a Schedule III reclassification
recognizing that marijuana has medical value and a lower abuse potential
compared to other Schedule I drugs like heroin.


*— Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug
policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon
supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps,
charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.*


*Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on
Patreon to get access. —*

Trump endorsed rescheduling—as well as industry banking access and a
Florida adult-use legalization initiative—on the campaign trail last year.
The president had been largely silent on the issue since taking office
during his second term, until a briefing in August where in response to a
reporter’s question he announced the administration would decide on
rescheduling within weeks.

The possibility of an imminent rescheduling announcement comes weeks after the
president signed a key spending bill that would effectively ban most
consumable hemp products, drawing criticism from stakeholders in the hemp
industry who argue the policy change would eradicate the market.

The post Drug Testing Industry Group Is ‘Sounding The Alarm’ About
Marijuana Rescheduling As Trump Plans Action appeared first on Marijuana
Moment.