All CBD products are banned for service members.
CBD products are prohibited in the U.S. Navy.
The Defense Department has officially banned the use of all cannabidiol, or CBD, products by all military service members. While CBD products have become more popular in recent years, this popularity and ease of access, has resulted in medical complications in some cases. Therefore, CBD is prohibited in the Navy.
Hemp has been removed from the controlled substances list but not legalized.
Cannabidiol can be found in many different products ranging from over-the-counter anxiety and sleep aids to popular foods and candies. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 removed hemp from the federal government’s list of controlled substances however, not all CBD is derived from the help plant which results in a fluctuation of the level of THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) contained in the product. Products containing CBD may not specify which plant the oil was derived from thereby making an accurate level of THC contained in the product impossible to determine.
CBD is prohibited in the U.S. Navy and CAN make you fail a Urinalysis.
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 legalized hemp that contains less than .3 percent THC but the CBD industry is not yet well regulated. The lack of proper regulations contributes to the fluctuation of THC levels thereby making it entirely possible for a service member who has partaken of CBD products to test positive on a urinalysis. A positive urinalysis can cause a service member to be charged with an Article 92 violation and an Article 112a violation of the UCMJ resulting in potentially catastrophic damage to their career.
FDA Approved Products
The only FDA approved product containing CBD is Epidiolex which is a prescription medication used to control epileptic seizures. Epidiolex is currently allowed for service members in the Air Force and in the Navy only when prescribed by their physician. Army members are prohibited from any and all use of hemp, CBD and THC products whether natural or synthetic, however, Navy policy allows Marines and sailors topical use of grooming products containing CBD or hemp, but transdermal patches and ingestible products are prohibited.
References
Department of the Army. (2016, November 28). The Army substance abuse program. In Army Publishing Directorate. Retrieved from https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/AR600-85_WEB_Final.pdf.
Hilderbrand R. L. (2018). Hemp & Cannabidiol: What is a Medicine?. Missouri Medicine, 115(4), 306–309. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6140266/.
OpJAGAF. (2019, April 30). Use of cannabidiol. Retrieved from https://www.afjag.af.mil/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=kg0yitPoD2A%3D&portalid=77.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019, July 17). What you need to know (and what we’re working to find out) about products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, including CBD. In FDA.gov. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-need-know-and-what-were-working-find-out-about-products-containing-cannabis-or-cannabis.
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) art. 92. (2019).
Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) art. 112a. (2019).