While many Americans are flying to the the CBD market, America’s flyboys have been told to keep away.
Tuesday, the service branch announced that airmen are forbidden from using and even owning cannabidiol, or CBD, products. The news comes despite 11 states that have explicitly legalized CBD and a broader framework that made industrial hemp and CBD legal at the federal level in 2018.
According to Air Force Times, Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits military men and women from smoking marijuana and other drugs. This still didn’t make the official stance on CBD clear until this week’s announcement. [1]
Because different brands and types of CBD contain levels of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, some can cause false-positive drug tests. These are predominantly full-spectrum CBD products that some say work best, while CBD isolates can measure as low as 0.00% THC contents.
“It’s important for both uniformed and civilian Airmen to understand the risk these products pose to their careers,” Maj. Jason Gammons, spokesman for the Air Force Office of The Judge Advocate General, said according to Air Force Times.
“Products containing unregulated levels of THC can cause positive drug tests, resulting in the same disciplinary actions as if members had consumed marijuana.” [1]
According to UPI, the Air Force has included even pet products as possible causes for a disciplinary action for possession. [2]
Yahoo! News reports that these punishments can include court martials for those found to possess or use CBD products. [3]
The Air Force told UPI the measures were a proactive step to avoid problems airmen might face. “The Air Force provided guidance on CBD oil to keep airmen informed of important policies affecting their service,” the USAF Surgeon General’s chief of media operations Lou Burton told UPI. [2]
The rules apply to both uniformed and plainclothes members of the Air Force, according to Air Force Times. [1]
All branches of the U.S. military are working to build their own rules and strategies for handling the emergence of CBD across the country after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp as an agricultural product, according to Yahoo! [3]
“The important point for Airmen to consider is the level of uncertainty for these products,” Gammons told Air Force Times. “We want to ensure we arm them with the facts so they can make informed decisions and not inadvertently jeopardize their military careers.” [1]
Sources
[3] https://news.yahoo.com/using-owning-cbd-oil-air-180413006.html
