A DEA proposal to downgrade marijuana from the most serious category of federal drug offenses to a lesser category has drawn more than 43,000 comments from groups and individuals.

DOT drug testing of truck drivers using oral fluid collections was approved more than a year ago, but a lack of certified lab testing facilities  has stalled use of the method.

NTSB filed comments with DEA expressing concerns that moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act could end testing of the drug for truck drivers.

On Nov. 18, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will start notifying state licensing agencies when a driver licensed in a state is newly prohibited in the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse.

Although FMCSA's efforts to streamline the driver verification process are helping fleets reduce risk via the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, it's also reduced the pool of qualified drivers.

A federal drug advisory group has begun the cumbersome process of placing fentanyl on the list of drugs to test federal safety-sensitive employees and truck drivers for drug use.

FMCSA has issued a warning that late next year truck drivers who test positive for drug use will not only be placed on prohibited status, but will lose their commercial driver licenses.

A federal drug testing advisory board will begin discussions next month on possibly adding a testing panel for fentanyl to drug test drivers and other federal safety-sensitive employees for the potentially deadly drug.

More than 100,000 truck drivers have been removed from the industry in the past three years due to positive marijuana tests, and most have not returned, an ATRI study shows.

The number of truck drivers testing positive for marijuana use increased 9.2% the first three months of 2023, according to federal Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse data.