Page 23 - Arkanas Trucking Report Volume 22 Issue 5

amounts of cash it produces. That’s riers don’t have to hire — in fact, can’t juana is legal, said the effect there has
because its continued status as an ille- hire — drivers who test positive. been more muted. Arizona’s Bradley
gal drug leaves federally chartered banks Greg Fulton, president of the said legalization has not significantly
wary of doing any business with those Colorado Motor Carriers Association, affected the driver pool there. There was
companies. told Arkansas Trucking Report earlier a spike in applicants who tested posi-
Federal marijuana laws haven’t this year that marijuana legalization tive and didn’t understand the law after
changed since 1995. While marijuana has made it more difficult for his state’s it was passed, but those numbers have
is still illegal under federal law, those trucking companies to find drug-free dropped off.
laws are not being enforced due to drivers and other employees. Unlike
a Department of Justice memo cre- alcohol, marijuana remains in a user’s HEALTH AND MEDICINE MAKING
ated during the Obama administra- system for a while, and there are no HEADLINES IN TRUCKING
tion, along with the Rohrabacher-Farr tests that determine “blood marijuana Marijuana isn’t the only drug
whose relationship to trucking is chang-
ing. Earlier this year, the Department of
Transportation announced it was pro-
posing amending its drug-testing pro-
“[HAVE] A VERY GOOD LAWYER.” gram to add four opioids — hydrocodone,
hydromorphone, oxymorphone, and
oxycodone. The move would harmonize
—ABIGAIL POTTER, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS the program with revised mandatory
MANAGER OF SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH POLICY Health and Human Services guidelines
for federal urine testing programs.
The change comes as concern
spreads regarding the nation’s opioid
epidemic. According to the Centers for
amendment. That amendment, named content” as there are for alcohol. One Disease Control, 259 million prescrip-
for sponsors Rep. Dana Rohrabacher member carrier would warn applicants tions were written for opioids in 2012,
(R-Calif.), and former Rep. Sam Farr that they would be drug-tested, and it more than one for every American
(D-Calif.), passed as part of a 2014 asked them not to bother applying if adult. According to the National Center
budget bill. It prohibits the Justice they had anything in their system in for Health Statistics, overdose deaths
Department from spending any money order to save them both the trouble. involving opioids increased from 28,647
prosecuting medical marijuana users Even then, it was experiencing a 70 per- in 2014 to 33,091 in 2015. Each year
and sellers who are obeying state laws cent failure rate. since 2002, more than 40 percent of
in the 29 states and the District of The legalization of marijuana has overdose deaths have been related to
Columbia where it’s legal. led to other challenges in Colorado. prescribed opioids.
However, the fate of legalized mari- Fulton said passage of recreational Two other health-related regula-
juana is somewhat uncertain. United marijuana in 2012 created a sense that tory changes have made news in recent
States Attorney General Jeff Sessions everything was now permitted regard- months. The Federal Motor Carrier
has a long history of opposing mari- less of existing policies. An unantici- Safety Administration announced in
juana, and the House of Representatives pated problem has been higher costs for July that it is considering ending the
has yet to vote on the amendment this warehouses and terminals as the mari- requirement that insulin-dependent
year. Meanwhile, the ATA is watching a juana industry has gobbled up space for diabetic truckers request an exemp-
legislative push to reclassify marijuana grow houses and storage. tion to qualify for interstate com-
as a Schedule 3 drug, or more of a pain- “These folks, the marijuana barons, merce. The change would affect drivers
killer. The ATA is also watching to see if have a lot of money,” he said. “And so whose conditions are under control.
marijuana is legalized in Canada. it’s pushed up the cost and the square Also, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
“People’s attitudes about marijuana footage significantly, and a number of Administration has withdrawn a notice
continue to change,” Potter said. our companies who had been in places of proposed rulemaking concerning
The bigger effects for the trucking for a number of years got pushed out.” sleep apnea. Along with the Federal
industry will be in how it affects the Colorado is different from Arkansas Railroad Administration, FMCSA would
driver shortage. The federal govern- in that the state has legalized marijuana have requested data and information
ment says commercial driver’s license for recreational use, not just medical regarding the sleep problem. However,
holders cannot be certified regardless of use. Executive directors from Michigan the agencies decided that current safety
their medical condition, so motor car- and Arizona, where only medical mari- programs are appropriate. ATR

ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 5 2017 23