The Department of Defense (DOD) is yet again reminding service members that they’re prohibited from using cannabis products, expressing concern that even using CBD-infused hand sanitizer or hemp granola could inadvertently compromise “military readiness.”
It’s unclear why military branches have felt a need to issue so many reminders about DOD cannabis policy over the years—a trend that picked up significantly after hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. But on Monday, the Air Force Materiel Command Health & Wellness Team published yet another notice.
The division explained that marijuana remains federally illegal as a Schedule I controlled substance, and so service members cannot use it regardless of state law. Hemp and its components like CBD might be federally legal and widely available in state markets across the country, but those products are unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so there’s a risk that they contain more THC than indicated on labeling.
“The DoD and Service-level policies prohibit Service members from eating and using products made or derived from hemp to include CBD no matter the claimed or actual THC levels,” the notice says. “This policy is necessary to ensure military readiness while securing the reliability and integrity of the drug testing program.”
Know the rules: Even though some states have decriminalized or legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, under…
