Drugs

Washington — Six weeks after the full implementation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, the agency said it had documented nearly 8,000 positive tests for substance misuse among commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Silver Spring, MD — CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training has unveiled an opioid awareness training program in response to its recently issued report showing that unintentional overdose deaths among construction workers have increased dramatically over the past decade.

Washington — CBD products may have higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC – the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – than the Department of Transportation allows in a non-controlled substance, the agency cautions in a Feb. 18 policy and compliance notice, adding that CBD use is not a “legitimate medical explanation” for a safety-sensitive employee who tests positive for marijuana.

Washington — Effective Jan. 1, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration doubled its minimum rate for random controlled substances testing to 50% of the average number of commercial motor vehicle driver positions.

Research Triangle Park, NC — The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has launched a free online training course designed to help employers and workers recognize occupational risk factors for opioid misuse and addiction, as well as develop solutions for prevention.

As more states legalize marijuana for medicinal and/or recreational use, efforts to protect cannabis workers’ safety and health are ramping up.

New York — Written drug policies and programs are strongly needed in the construction and extraction industries, researchers from New York University are saying after their study revealed that workers in these industries are more likely than those in other industries to misuse prescription opioids and use cocaine.

Arlington, VA — The American Trucking Associations is calling on state and federal governments to consider the impact of legalized marijuana on roadway safety, in a new set of policies and recommendations endorsed by the organization.

Elk Grove Village, IL — The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is calling on Congress to make workplace safety “a primary consideration” when considering federal legislation that would legalize marijuana use.