Weed Feed: U.S. Army Issues Waivers for Enlistees Who Use Marijuana

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WEED FEED / John Ross Ferrara / Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 @ 8:53 a.m.

Weed Feed: U.S. Army Issues Waivers for Enlistees Who Use Marijuana

In the past, the U.S. Army turned away marijuana users trying to enlist. But now that President Donald Trump is working towards increasing military spending and bolstering what he says is a “depleted military,” the army is looking the other way.

The Associated Press reported last week that as more and more states decriminalize marijuana, the Army is granting hundreds of more waivers for enlisting soldiers who have used the drug in the past.

“Provided they understand that they cannot do that when they serve in the military,” the Army’s recruiting command Maj. Gen. Jeff Snow told the AP. “I will waive that all day long.”

So soldiers still won’t be allowed to use marijuana after enlistment. But the past? That’s ancient history. According the the AP report, the number of waivers granted for enlisting soldier who have smoked weed in the past has grown from 191 in 2016 to more than 500 in 2017.

According to army data gathered by the AP, 69,000 recruits were enlisted this year, roughly 6,000 more than last year.

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