InOut Labs Founder Joins NDASA at US Capitol to Sound Alarm on Marijuana Rescheduling Threat to Federal Workplace Safety

NDASA-Led Press Conference Calls on Congress and Federal Agencies to Protect Safety-Sensitive Workers Through a Targeted Carve-Out in Sched III Reclassification

NORTHFIELD, IL, UNITED STATES, May 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Tim Thoelecke, CSAPA, President and Founder of InOut Labs and State Affiliate for Illinois of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA), on May 21, 2026, participated in a landmark NDASA Press Conference held at the United States Capitol. The event convened an authoritative coalition of drug and alcohol testing industry professionals, safety advocates, and policy experts to deliver an urgent message to Congress and federal regulators: the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act must include an explicit safety carve-out protecting federally mandated testing programs for safety-sensitive workers.

Under current federal law, more than 8 million safety-sensitive employees — including commercial truck drivers, airline pilots, school bus drivers, air traffic controllers, railroad engineers, pipeline operators, and nuclear facility workers — are subject to mandatory drug and alcohol testing programs administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and other federal agencies. These programs exist because the consequences of impairment in safety-sensitive roles are catastrophic and irreversible. Industry professionals at the NDASA Press Conference warned that rescheduling marijuana without a targeted carve-out could functionally eliminate these critical testing requirements, exposing the public to unprecedented safety risks.

“The stakes here could not be higher. We are talking about the men and women operating 80,000-pound trucks on our highways, the pilots carrying hundreds of passengers at 35,000 feet, and the drivers transporting our children to school every morning. The federal workplace drug testing program was built to keep these workers — and the public they serve — safe. If marijuana is rescheduled without a clear, explicit safety carve-out, we risk dismantling decades of science-based impairment prevention policy overnight.We stood at the U.S. Capitol today because policymakers must hear directly from the professionals who implement and depend on these programs every day: workplace safety is non-negotiable, and it must not become collateral damage in a broader cannabis policy debate.”

NDASA, the nation’s leading professional association for the drug and alcohol testing industry, organized the Capitol Hill press conference to unify the industry’s voice at a pivotal regulatory moment. The DEA’s proposed rulemaking to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance, while representing significant shifts in federal drug policy, makes no distinction between recreational and medicinal use contexts and the unique demands of federally regulated, safety-sensitive employment sectors. NDASA and its affiliates are calling on Congress to codify a statutory safety carve-out and urging the DOT and relevant federal agencies to issue clear guidance affirming the preservation of existing drug testing mandates regardless of any scheduling change.

As both a Certified Substance Abuse Program Administrator (CSAPA) and the operator of InOut Labs, a nationally recognized Consortium/Third Party Administrator (C/TPA) specializing in DOT drug testing compliance, Thoelecke brings both frontline operational expertise and credentialed policy knowledge to this advocacy effort. His participation in the NDASA Press Conference underscores the critical role that industry professionals play in shaping the regulatory frameworks that protect American workers and the traveling public.

About Tim Thoelecke & InOut Labs
Tim Thoelecke, CSAPA, is the President and Founder of InOut Labs, a national Consortium/Third Party Administrator (C/TPA) providing comprehensive DOT drug and alcohol testing compliance services to employers across federally regulated industries. A Certified Substance Abuse Program Administrator and the NDASA State Affiliate for Illinois, Thoelecke is a recognized voice in workplace safety and federal drug testing policy. InOut Labs is committed to helping employers maintain safe, compliant workplaces through science-based testing programs and expert regulatory guidance. For more information, visit www.inoutlabs.com.

About NDASA
The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) is the premier professional association representing the drug and alcohol testing industry in the United States. NDASA advocates for policies that support workplace safety, regulatory compliance, and the integrity of federally mandated drug testing programs. For more information, visit www.ndasa.com.

Timothy N Thoelecke Jr, CSAPA
InOut Labs
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