Further differentiating the taxi industry from Lyft and Uber, who do nothing of the sort, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors voted unanimously yesterday to annually drug test cabbies for substances such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, opium, and phencyclidine.

In fact, San Francisco has been out of compliance with state regulations adopted in 1996 that require such testing, as KQED explains. The new policy, which was six years in the making is as follows: when they apply for taxi permits, renew their permits annually, have an accident, or if there’s a “reasonable suspicion” that they’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drivers must take a drug test. Testing positive might lead to a suspension or revocation of the driver's permit.

Lyft and Uber also don't require the same background checks and fingerprint scans as cab drivers, and with the addition of drug testing, the Examiner writes that some in the industry are concerned that more drivers will move to the new ride-hailing businesses as a result.

But that fear was partly assuaged by a provision made for medical marijuana users in the henew SFMTA policy.

“My only concern is my fellow drivers [who are] up in age need marijuana to get them through the night with aches and pains,” driver Tom Diesso told the board during a public comment period. "I was hoping we could find some legal room here so they could perform their duty and not lose their jobs.” Indeed, Diesso's wish was granted.

"You have people driving for Uber and Lyft who don’t have to go through that filter of accountability. That’s what I worry about," said Hansu Kim, CEO of Flywheel Taxi (pictured above). That business recently sued for cities to further regulate Lyft and Uber. "We believe in drug testing, and we want to make sure our drivers are not taking hard drugs,” he said.

The program comes at a high cost: $900,000 a year, operated by a contractor, and takes effect next month.

Related: Flywheel Taxi Sues For Cities To Regulate Uber And Lyft