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Department of Transportation Rules on THC Threshold for CBD

The United States Department of Transportation has issued a bulletin noting that any CBD product which exceeds 0.3% concentration of THC will remain classified as marijuana, a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. The bulletin itself is not a legal document, but rather a notice of existing statutes and rules regarding THC that you should be aware of.

What Is CBD?

CBD is the latest supplement that has captured the public’s attention in assisting with a myriad of issues. Insomnia, joint pain, epilepsy, anxiety disorders, quitting smoking, and a natural way to relieve pain and inflammation in the body. As you might imagine, the variety of these claims has given just about anyone a reason to try CBD and see if it offers any benefit to them.

Low-THC products such as CBD are available for purchase everywhere throughout the United States. Stores are cropping up left and right that primarily sell CBD. Many supplement stores have opened their arms to welcome CBD and the large amount of interest that it is enjoying at the moment. The interest and popularity of CBD are so great that even drugstore chains and major retailers are carrying it in their drug sections.

The interesting thing about the phenomenon is that despite everyone’s willingness to try CBD, most people couldn’t really tell you what exactly it is and what it is supposed to do. The major selling point for CBD is its relation to the longtime polarizing plant Cannabis sativa—otherwise known as marijuana. CBD is short for cannabidiol and it is the non-psychoactive component of marijuana. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is what imparts the effects of marijuana onto the consumer.

How Does This Effect Drug Testing Procedures?

CBD is not a regulated market, the FDA is not involved with the testing of CBD products nor do they oversee any means of quality control. There are many organizations that have filled in the gap with their own testing and quality assurance methods but there is yet to be a central unifying body that can give a stamp of approval.

Thus, the issue is that if you are a safety-sensitive employee—such as a pilot, truck driver, transit vehicle operator, emergency response personnel, etc, there are stringent requirements for drug testing that must be met as part of a larger conglomerate of safety regulations and protocols that must be enforced. There are no reasons why such employees cannot benefit from the usage of CBD and whatever health benefits it may confer, but given that the market is unregulated, there are certainly chances for testing positive for cannabis because of QA issues when it comes to CBD products.

Some products may implicitly market that they are under the 0.3% threshold but may not always meet that standard of purity or extraction. This poses a huge issue for drug testing procedures as well as employees that work in safety-sensitive positions.

Our DOT Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs

TAG/AMS has worked with numerous organizations under the Department of Transportation such as the FAA, FMCSA, FTA, and many more. We are a leading DOT drug testing consortium nationwide and have helped countless clients create custom drug testing and alcohol monitoring programs that are federally compliant.

If you require substance monitoring training or need to develop an effective program contact us today at (866)-780-0839 or fill in the form provided, we’d love to hear from you!