The Navy is changing its policy for recruits who test positive for cannabis upon arriving at boot camp, choosing to grant waivers rather than dismiss them outright in light of the continuous difficulties the United States military faces in recruiting. Head of the Navy’s personnel policy and plans unit, Rear Admiral James Waters, explained that if a recruit tests positive for cannabis and admits to using it, an assessment is done to make sure there are no underlying problems.
The adaptation aims to align with social laws and provide an opportunity for young people to acclimate to the Navy’s culture during boot camp. This move is a reflection of larger military attempts to solve recruitment deficiencies and lower the boot-camp dropout rate, which is currently approximately 10%, marking one of the lowest in past years.
Waters stressed that with the Navy’s target of recruiting 40,000 sailors by the end of 2024, minimizing the loss of recruits during boot camp is crucial. However, he emphasized that the more permissive attitude is limited to THC testing and doesn’t extend to other substances.
The adjustment follows a similar move by the Air Force, which saw a significant increase in enlistment waivers granted to recruits testing positive for THC than initially anticipated. General Christopher Amrhein, the Air Force’s recruitment service commander, highlighted that the waiver policy helped mitigate the impact of missing the annual recruitment goal for the first time in more than two decades.
The unit reported that it had granted 165 waivers in the first year after they were made available. That is more than three times as many waivers as it had anticipated granting each year.
The Navy and the Air Force’s recent policies represent a departure from previous strict regulations related to marijuana use, particularly in the context of CBD and hemp products. Over the years, various military units have communicated specific rules to their members regarding marijuana use, emphasizing the prohibition of hemp, CBD and marijuana products, even in states where using those substances is legal.
The Navy, for instance, prohibited the use of CBD and hemp products in 2018, with subsequent updates explaining the rationale behind the rule change. Additionally, the Naval War College issued a notice in 2022 stating that marines and sailors could test positive for cannabis if they consumed Pepsi’s Rockstar drink, which contains hemp.
Meanwhile, an Air Force base in Massachusetts issued a warning in 2021 prohibiting military personnel from even bringing hemp-infused lip balms, shampoos and lotions onto the base.
Given the rate at which more people are taking to regulated products from licensed marijuana companies such as Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF), the cannabis waivers offered by the different wings of the armed forces are a rightful response to the changing public perception of this substance.
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