FAA Launches Science-Based Marijuana Fitness Review for Pilots, Controllers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing updated fitness-for-duty standards for pilots and air traffic controllers to address evolving federal cannabis policy, including the potential rescheduling of marijuana at the federal level. The FAA's Office of Aerospace Medicine has partnered with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) to conduct a formal, science-based review of operational risks associated with cannabis use by safety-sensitive aviation personnel.

Central to the review is determining how much time must elapse after cannabis use to ensure both the absence of operational impairment and compliance with Department of Transportation drug testing requirements. NASEM will host a four-part expert meeting series through 2026 and 2027 examining the effects of acute and cumulative cannabis use on cognitive performance, reaction time and situational awareness. The agency expects the findings to inform policy updates within 12 to 18 months following the conclusion of those expert panels.

Despite the ongoing review, the FAA stresses that current rules remain unchanged. Under 14 CFR Part 120 and 49 CFR Part 40, marijuana is a prohibited substance for all safety-sensitive aviation personnel, and a verified positive THC test continues to disqualify a pilot from holding an FAA medical certificate regardless of state legalization status. While the agency is working toward scientifically defensible impairment thresholds — stopping short, for now, of adopting a fixed abstinence window comparable to Transport Canada's 28-day rule — its zero-tolerance stance holds, with federal regulations superseding state cannabis laws.