 United States Air Force Recruiting boss, Major General Ed Thomas, recently told Air Force Times that they are exploring the option of granting waivers to recruits who test positive for THC. He said, “as more states legalize cannabis, there is an increased prevalence of THC-positive applicants.” He added, “We have to be realistic today … We need to exercise common sense.”
As things stand now, if an applicant tests positive for THC, then they are permanently barred from entering the Air Force. But Thomas believes that if a THC-positive applicant is otherwise qualified, and the Air Force believes they will act in good faith and forgo cannabis once in the service, he thinks that would be grounds for a waiver. Each of the armed forces are under direction from the Pentagon, which prohibits troops from cannabis products, including CBD. However, each branch makes their own determination for how they will handle applicants who have used those products prior to service. The Air Force is not the first to consider an option like this. The Navy instituted a trial program which provides a waiver option for certain applicants who tested positive for cannabis at intake. That two year pilot program experiment is currently running through April 2023. The Army and the the Marine Corps both already have waiver options for those who test positive for cannabis at intake. The federally funded think tank, Rand Corp., last year said that more than half of all new recruits come from states where medical marijuana is legal. Nathalie Grogan, who studies military personnel at the Center for a New American Security, said adjusting the rules on cannabis could play a role in opening the door to as much as one-third of young American men who may have disqualifying past criminal conduct. The Rand Corp said the potential for a new waiver option, “should be welcome news in recruiting offices nationwide.” Comments are closed.
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