trucking

DOT Reaffirms Cannabis Prohibition for Commercial Drivers Despite Federal Rescheduling

The Department of Transportation has clarified that its zero-tolerance cannabis policy remains in effect regardless of recent federal reclassification of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Medical Review Officers cannot overturn positive drug tests based on state-licensed medical marijuana cards, physician recommendations, or dispensary documentation. The agency emphasized that state-dispensed cannabis lacks FDA approval and cannot be federally prescribed. This makes it ineligible as a valid medical exemption under federal transit regulations. DOT's Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance and Office of the General Counsel jointly issued the guidance this month. The reclassification does not alter DOT screening protocols, as marijuana is explicitly named in agency regulations independent of its federal schedule status. Cannabis accounts for approximately 60% of all positive drug tests among commercial drivers and remains prohibited under 49 CFR Part 40.