Pot Not an Option for Commercial Truckers
Even though Colorado recently passed a law, Amendment 64, that went into effect on Jan. 1st permitting residents and nonresidents to legally purchase marijuana for recreational purposes, the use pot by commercial truckers on the job is absolutely prohibited.
As detailed in the Denver Post’s website called “The Canabist,” Colorado law states that employers that have company policies prohibiting marijuana use may enforce those policies – including termination – despite the new state law that permits the legal use of pot outside of the workplace.
The fine print is unambiguous. Nothing in the law will “affect the ability of employers to have policies restricting the use of marijuana by employees,” Amendment 64 states. That might include smoking pot at work or even after hours, according to certain legal experts and judicial rulings.
What’s more, drivers of all types, including commercial, may still be subject to the Colorado state driving impairment laws.
And if all that’s not compelling enough for commercial truckers, marijuana remains an illegal substance as far as the federal government and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is concerned. Any positive drug test by a trucker could jeopardize his or her career.
Next up is Washington State, which is expected to pass a similar law in the spring of this year.
Category: Featured, General Update, Management
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