The Navy has banned sailors and Marines from using hemp-based personal care products – such as lotions, soaps, and shampoos – according to a Stars and Stripes report. In a statement, the Navy said the products could contain too much THC and might “negatively impact mission readiness and disqualify a sailor from continued service.”
The branch banned hemp-based topicals in July saying there is no way to ensure the products do not contain psychoactive levels of THC and that the labels may be untrustworthy.
Both bans are an effort to keep servicemembers from unwittingly consuming THC and failing a drug test. Last summer the Navy banned sailors and Marines from ingesting any hemp-derived product without a valid prescription.
The Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard all already ban their members from consuming products made with hemp or hemp seed oil.
None of the bans include hemp goods such as clothing, twine, rope, or other “durable” products not designed for ingestion or personal care.
Service members who test positive for THC are processed for administrative separation, the report says, and could receive an “other than honorable” discharge which could prevent them from receiving employment opportunities and veteran’s benefits.
Last year the Department of Defense warned servicemembers from using any CBD products due to the risk of ingesting THC. According to Stripes, over a two-month period in 2018, military bases in the U.S. reported more than 100 medical incidents related to adulterated CBD products.
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