According to Military.com
U.S. troops can now be punished for using products that contain hemp or cannabis oil, according to a Defense Department memo recently made public.
In February, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan directed the services to issue general orders or regulations by March 1 prohibiting the use of products made from hemp under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
But the new orders make use of hemp and CBD punitive across all DoD active-duty and reserve component personnel, including the Navy and Marine Corps, whose members were allowed under the Department of the Navy to use topical products like shampoo, lotions and creams.
Donovan said the move was needed to “protect the integrity of the drug testing program.”
If a service member is found to have used a CBD product, it would be punishable under Article 92 of the UCMJ. Exceptions include use by authorized personnel in the performance of medical duties, those who ingest or use hemp and weren’t aware that what they were consuming contained hemp or CBD, and those taking it “pursuant to legitimate law enforcement duties,” according to the memo.
The order also does not apply to those taking FDA-approved medications that contain CBD or synthetic cannabis, including Epidiolex, Marinol and Syndros.
The Air Force and Army have had policies since last year that made use of any CBD product punishable under Article 92.
The Navy’s policy restricted ingestible CBD or other hemp products but allowed Marines and sailors to use topical goods.
But according to a Navy official, additional guidance is in the works to align the service’s policy with the memo to apply to all sailors and Marines.