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Summary
This article examines how the U.S. military should prepare for inevitable federal cannabis legalization by studying the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), which has successfully implemented an authorized cannabis use policy since 2018. It argues that, once Congress removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), the U.S. military should adopt a similar framework permitting responsible cannabis use by service members while maintaining good order and discipline.

The paper begins with the Canadian model, where service members may consume cannabis under clearly defined restrictions: no use within eight hours of duty, within twenty-four hours of handling weapons, or within twenty-eight days of flight or submarine duties. Despite these limits, most CAF members may legally use cannabis off-duty, and no significant disciplinary or readiness problems have been reported since implementation.

In contrast, the U.S. military currently prohibits any cannabis use, aligning with federal law. This prohibition affects recruitment and retention, as many potential recruits live in states with legalized cannabis and may be disqualified or require waivers. The article highlights that these strict accession policies reduce the pool of eligible recruits and fail to reflect normalized cannabis use in American society.

The author proposes a two-part U.S. military cannabis policy:

Liberalize accession policies—remove the need for misconduct waivers for prior cannabis use, shorten retest waiting periods, and allow security-clearance eligibility for applicants who used cannabis legally.
Authorize responsible cannabis use once federal legalization occurs—modeled on CAF’s approach, with limits based on duty periods and job types to ensure safety and discipline.

Legal changes would be required before implementation, particularly amending Article 112a, UCMJ, and revising Army Regulation (AR) 600-85, which governs substance use policies. The new framework would also integrate medical and authorized cannabis use under a single system to avoid confusion.

The paper concludes that an authorized cannabis use policy would improve recruitment, retention, and morale while saving administrative time and costs associated with drug testing and separations. Drawing on Canada’s success, the author contends that the U.S. military can trust service members to act responsibly and adapt to the realities of legal cannabis use, maintaining discipline without blanket prohibition.

This proposal establishes a unified framework for veterans’ health, wellness, and post-traumatic growth by connecting three moments in U.S. history:

1946 — OSS “Truth Drug” Program:
The U.S. government’s Office of Strategic Services synthesized and tested cannabis acetate for psychological effects, proving federal knowledge of cannabis’ pharmacological efficacy as early as World War II.
1976 — The Robert Randall Precedent:
Through Randall v. U.S., the courts recognized cannabis’ medical necessity, compelling the government to supply it under the Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) program — a legal admission of therapeutic value and patient legitimacy.
2025 — Veterans’ Health Equity Framework:
Today’s veterans, who are legally defined as federal patients within VA care, are still denied access to a plant the government once studied and prescribed. This proposal reclaims that legacy through a comprehensive model of care emphasizing prevention, post-traumatic growth, and community reintegration.

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