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Federal Drug Testing Rule Will Require ‘Directly Observed’ Urine Collection From Truck Drivers

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“A month that goes by without an oral fluid test is another month when federal employees with paruresis face anxiety, discrimination, and barriers.”

By Kastalia Medrano, Filter

The Department of Transportation will require “directly observed” urine drug testing in federal employment situations where saliva testing is required but not possible. The clarification of DOT drug and alcohol testing procedures is the latest development in a years-long push by the trucking industry. oral fluid testing as an alternative to urine testing.

The new rule was published in the Federal Register on May 11, and will go into effect on June 10.

Truck drivers, who are subject to a large number of federal regulations, do not choose the method of drug testing, while DOT-regulated employers do. The campaign to implement oral fluid testing has been led by the American Trucking Association (ATA), which believes it is necessary to “keep drivers with disabilities off the road and maintain the trucking industry’s commitment to safety.”

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) approved lab-based oral fluid testing in 2019, and the DOT finalized its regulations in 2023 allowing employers to choose this as an alternative to urine testing. But the actual implementation requires at least. Two laboratories approved by the Food and Drug Administration to process tests—one for the initial analysis and another to confirm the results. There are currently zero.

Oral fluid testing is attractive to many employers for a number of reasons, one of which is its effectiveness in detecting drug use within hours compared to urine drug testing. While the trucking industry has become the public face of the campaign, the regulations also affect federal workers in the commercial aviation, railroad, public transportation and pipeline sectors.

One of the main concerns expressed by the trucking industry has been that urine drug screens are not visible, making it easier to avoid oral fluid testing. Another concern is paruresis, commonly referred to as “shy bladder” syndrome: if a driver can’t urinate when they need to, they’re stuck for a three-hour wait, which obviously affects their arrival time. And if they still cannot produce urine during this period, they are considered to have refused to take the test and are removed from their duties. To return, they must “pass” a urine test watched by a same-sex observer.

New DOT the rule also updates existing terminology by replacing the word “gender” with the word “sex” in accordance with President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order “Defending Women from Gender Ideological Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

“A month that goes without an oral fluid test is another month when federal employees with paruresis face anxiety, discrimination and professional barriers,” Dr. Steven Soifer, co-founder of the International Paruresis Society, said in March. “We have been working on this issue since our inception (30 years ago). Our members ask the same question every day: When will the federal government finish the work it has already approved?”

In April, at the request of ATA, six members of Congress he wrote Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services citing FDA regulatory hurdles as the reason why laboratories in the United States are not certified to process oral fluid tests.

They cited an analysis by Quest Diagnostics that showed a 370 percent increase in “replaced” urine specimens from 2022 to 2023. Quest has its own laboratory-based oral fluid collection method, Quantisal™, and has therefore been an ardent supporter of the campaign.

On May 1, the FDA a notice with the intention of considering revising the requirements for toxicology studies. That same day SAMHSA a the list It confirms that currently certified laboratories, which will probably be updated in the future, but are not available at the moment.

However, at the end of the day, HHS handles oral fluid testing in a similar scenario to hair follicle testing. The department promised to create guidelines for hair testing in 2015, but has yet to do so.

This the article originally posted by The filteran online magazine that deals with drug use, drug policy and human rights from a harm reduction perspective. Follow Filter on Bluesky, X or Facebookand sign up for their newsletter.

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Concert Series Specials launched for state medical cannabis patients

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10 hours ago

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June 8, 2026

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Post Dispensary, Kentucky’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is connecting with patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Hopkinsville and surrounding areas by aligning unique specials with the region’s summer concert calendar. Located at 300 N Main St. in Beaver Dam, minutes from major highways connecting these vibrant cities.

This summer, The Post Dispensary is offering special pricing and incentives for Concert Series Events at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, SPARKS in the Park 4th of July celebration and surrounding events, such as Owensboro’s ROMP Festival (June 24-27, 2026). Patients can stop by before or after shows for big savings.

“We’re more than just a booty,” said a dispensary representative. “From Owensboro’s world-class ROMP Festival to Beaver Dam’s Amphitheater events, we’re making it convenient and budget-friendly for patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hartford and beyond to combine our love of music with compassionate care and an affordable product.”

The Post Dispensary hosts regular Patient Guidance events on the second Saturday of every month. These units have professionals on hand to assess patients and issue written certificates at low cost, application support and expert consultations in a welcoming environment. The next Patient Drive aligns perfectly with summer travel patterns, making it easy for patients from Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Henderson, Madisonville and surrounding towns to plan a trip to Beaver Dam that combines care with community and entertainment.

For more information:
Post-Dispensary
thepostdispensary.com/










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Missouri GOP Lawmakers Hope Trump’s Psychedelics Order Boosts Efforts To Allow Military Veteran Access In The State

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10 hours ago

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June 8, 2026

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“Congratulations to President Trump for stepping up and taking the lead on this. PTSD is a killer among veterans.”

By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent

Missouri state representative Dave Griffith has spent the past five years researching how psychedelic-assisted therapy has helped veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

His last legislative session in the House ended this May, and he pushed legislation for the last time allow clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy in Missouri. In the final days of the session, the bill stalled in the Missouri Senate after passing the House with overwhelming support.

“I’m not going to be there next year, I’m term-limited,” said Griffith, a Republican who served as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committee. “It’s really about passing the torch to a lot of other veterans who are on the Veterans Commission and see the value in that.”

He was hopeful when he saw an announcement The US Department of Veterans Affairs announced last week a new clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy.or MDMA-assisted therapy. MDMA is a synthetic substance made in a laboratory, according to the department, and is also called “ecstasy” or “molly” in recreational use.

“Congratulations to President Trump for stepping up and taking the lead on this,” said Griffith of Jefferson City. “PTSD is a killer among veterans. If you just listen to the testimony that’s been happening over the last five years in the Missouri House, the life-changing it’s been for them is a compelling reason why something like this works.”

A new trial follows Trump signed an executive order in April, “Expediting Medical Treatment for Serious Mental Illness.” The order aims to increase participation in clinical trials and accelerate innovative research models and drug approvals for psychedelics.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate at least $50 million to support and collaborate with state governments that “have established or are developing programs to advance psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness.”

Without passing the legislation, Missouri will miss this opportunity, said Republican state representative Matthew Overcast of Ava.

Cloud hoped that Trump’s April order would help “grease the wheels” this year by state Rep. Richard West and state Rep. Richard West who sponsored the state to conduct a study on psilocybin and ibogaine therapy.

“The last couple of months there’s been a lot of feds on things that the states are reluctant to move forward with here,” Overcast said. “So it’s exciting.”

According to the VA’s announcement, the department is involved in 19 other active clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions that have received more than $23 million in outside funding.

The new trial, called “A Randomized Controlled Trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD and Alcohol Use Disorder in US Veterans,” will enroll about 80 veterans and compare outcomes between those receiving MDMA-assisted therapy and those receiving the same psychotherapy with an active placebo. VA is coordinating with the US Food and Drug Administration and plans to share trial data with FDA.

The trial will be conducted at the VA Providence Healthcare System, and will recruit veterans from the Providence, Rhode Island, campus in West Haven, Connecticut, and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.

Trump’s executive order says there have been more than 6,000 veteran suicides per year for more than 20 years, and the current veteran suicide rate is twice that of the adult non-veteran population.

He says people with major depressive disorder and substance abuse disorder, among other serious mental illnesses, may relapse or fail to respond fully to standard medical and psychiatric therapies.

“Despite significant federal investment in research into potential advances in mental health care and treatment, our medical research system has yet to produce approved therapies that promote lasting improvements in the mental health status of the most complex patients,” the order states. “Innovative methods are needed to find long-term solutions for these Americans beyond existing prescription drugs.”

Missouri veterans John and Kara Grady, who own a hemp shop in Rosebud, strongly agree with the statement, they said. And they’d like to see Missouri’s veterans health system participate in clinical trials already underway.

“President Trump is opening up investigations for the veteran community,” said John Grady, “If you look at the numbers … we’ve lost more in the wars with mental health than we’ve lost.”

The lack of movement on psychedelic-assisted therapy legislation is among the reasons why John Grady is running for state representative over Bruce Sassmann in the state’s Republican primary.

“If you don’t agree with Trump on everything, at least he’s addressing this veteran issue right here,” Grady said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to stop that number, we’ll stop that flow of our precious veterans dying by their own hands because they don’t have treatment.”

This story was first published by the Missouri Independent.

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Germany’s medical cannabis imports post first quarterly decline since early 2024

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1 day ago

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June 7, 2026

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German imports of medical cannabis flowers fell to 50.5 tonnes in the first quarter of 2026, down from 60.8 tonnes in the previous quarter, the decline from the first quarter of 2024. According to a new EU and UK market update from Whitney Economics.

The drop lands against a year that went backwards. Germany took in more than 2025 tonnes of the product in 2025, more than double the 72,850 kilograms recorded in 2024, and import volumes have risen every year since 2018, when the figure remained below 4,500 kilograms. The first quarter number continues to match the high pace of 2025, which is why the report treats it as an early sign of stabilization rather than a turnaround.

Prices
The volume has not created a stable price. A gram of cannabis in a German pharmacy is approaching 4 euros, while a gram on the illegal market is around 8 euros, reversing the usual relationship between regulated and unregulated supply. The wholesale price is around 2 euros per gram, roughly half the retail price at the pharmacy. Pharmacy prices breached 3.99 euros in November 2025, and the report puts the overall compression close to 25% in two and a half years.

Germany legalized ownership in 2024 and restricted sales to pharmaceutical and telemedicine providers. Two access roads run parallel. Medical cannabis is mainly prescribed through private prescriptions, and recreational cannabis is available through membership of a cannabis association, with 400 licensed cultivation associations across the country, although the exact count varies by source. It is the medical segment that drives market growth, not the recreational segment.

Growth is based on telemedicine
 Patients fill out an online questionnaire, receive a prescription from an affiliated physician, and in many cases have their order filled through an integrated pharmacy partner, with delivery within days and, in some cities, within hours. Between 600,000 and 700,000 self-employed consumers are supported by the telemedicine industry, compared to 200,000 to 300,000 medical patients supported by pharmacies. Total imports are now sufficient to supply between 900,000 and one million consumers.

© Philiprowe | Dreamstime

Market exposure
Critics argue that commercial interests risk overshadowing the medical nature of the system, and treatment does not always meet the required standard of control. Legislative initiatives that would tighten the framework are already on the table, including mandatory in-person inquiries and a ban on distribution of mail requests. The likely result of both measures is a significant decline in demand for medical cannabis flowers. Many telemedicine companies are preparing for the opportunity by building networks with local doctors and pharmacies.

Where patients and consumers would go if medical access is curtailed is an open question, as the recreational market lacks a real alternative for patients and cannabis clubs continue to face licensing hurdles at the state level.

Part of the difficulty in reading the market is that import figures say less than they seem. More cannabis is entering the country than ever before, but how much is reaching consumers and what the actual demand is is unclear. Without a nationwide data framework, the market functions as a black box, and excess supply and actual demand are difficult to measure with great precision. Supply has tended to expand faster than the market can absorb, with no forecast to confirm mature demand, and prices have adjusted downward as a result.

Germany has had a signal effect across Europe since the start of its reform, although its model has drawn criticism, with the mixing of medical and recreational consumption a recurring complaint. Countries that have traditionally taken a conservative line, France among them, have gone to a more formalized medical field, under stricter conditions and without adopting the medical flower like Germany.

For more information:
Whitney Economics
Beau Whitney
(503) 724-3084
www.whitneyeconomics.com

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