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CHP says they’re catching more truckers driving while high

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A recent Facebook post made by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) says that troopers are seeing an increased number of truck drivers who are under the influence of marijuana.

A May 14 Facebook post from the Donner Pass division of CHP reads:

We are seeing a VERY BAD trend….commercial drivers using marijuana and driving. Just because it’s legal in CA and NV doesn’t mean that you can drive under the influence. The worst part is the drivers dog went to dog jail (animal control).

We are seeing a VERY BAD trend….commercial drivers using marijuana and driving. Just because it’s legal in CA and NV…

Posted by CHP – Donner Pass on Tuesday, May 14, 2019

CBS Sacramento followed up with CHP on their claim about the increase in truckers using marijuana and found that troopers don’t have hard data but that they are noticing a “trend.”

CHP trooper Josh McDonald told the new station, “They think they can smoke marijuana or eat the edibles and drive. But the thing is if you’re under the influence you’re going to get arrested.”

McDonald said that the truck driver mentioned in the Facebook post was arrested for DUI. “In this case of the last driver, it was pretty easy. He came in and smelled like marijuana a lot. And he admitted to smoking marijuana 20 to 30 minutes prior to entering the facility,” he said.

Though 10 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations still forbid truckers from using marijuana.

A recent report from the American Transportation Research Institute stated that in 2016, random drug testing identified drugs in 0.7 percent of commercial drivers.

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