The number of times a commercial vehicle driver tested positive for drugs increased in 2022 from two years earlier, with positive marijuana tests making up the bulk of the increases, according to a federal transportation survey.
Commercial drivers tested positive for delta-9 THC, the ingredient in cannabis that causes a psychotropic “high,” 40,916 times in 2022, up from 29,511 in 2020 and 31,085 in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s federal Motor Transportation Safety Administration. & Alcohol Clearinghouse December 2022 Report.
Commercial drivers tested positive for cocaine 10,953 times in 2022 and methamphetamine 5,569 times, according to the report.
Illicit drugs were not the only identifiable substances leading to positive drug test results according to the report; commercial drivers also tested positive for prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine.
The most positive drug results came from Texas, with California and Florida rounding out the top three states.
The Clearinghouse is a federal database that offers information to employers, driver̵
7;s license authorities and law enforcement officials about drug and alcohol safety violations in the commercial transportation sector.Drivers with clearinghouse violations must be removed from “safety-sensitive” functions, which include driving a commercial vehicle, according to the report. Drivers are allowed to return to work after completing a reinstatement process.
The report found that 120,345 commercial drivers currently have “banned” status, which prevents them from driving.
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