Pot legalization could cost truckers

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Dear editor,

I recently watched the local news, and discovered the federal government is considering passing a law that states if a person has in their possession less than 30 grams of marijuana it will no longer be a criminal offence, merely a ticket with no criminal implications.

My question to you is what happens when this person decides to stand on the street corner or in the local mall and light up a joint?

If he has less than 30 grams on him he’ll get a ticket, with no criminal implications whatsoever, but what if the poor sod standing next to him when he does it happens to be subject to random drug testing, like most truck drivers who travel the US are subject to?

How much second hand pot smoke does it take to show a positive test result in a random drug test, and is there anyway to prove you didn’t smoke it, but that the person next to you in the mall, or at the bar, or at the dance did?

It seems a shame that individuals who abide by the law, and are subject to random drug testing (which I am fully in favor of) should be restricted in their ability to go out for some enjoyment for fear that they may innocently lose their job because of someone else standing next to them lighting up a substance that’s illegal to start with.

Shirley Propper

Eden, Ont.

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Truck News is Canada's leading trucking newspaper - news and information for trucking companies, owner/operators, truck drivers and logistics professionals working in the Canadian trucking industry.


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