Military Eases Enlistment Rules for Those With Prior Marijuana Convictions
- The U.S. Army has eased enlistment rules by removing the two-year waiting period, waiver requirement, and mandatory drug test for recruits with a single marijuana possession conviction.
- The policy change reflects the growing legalization of cannabis across states, aiming to avoid penalizing applicants for convictions that may be legal elsewhere.
- The adjustment is part of broader military efforts to meet recruitment goals after falling short in 2022 by loosening enlistment standards.
- NORML criticizes the change as opportunistic and inconsistent, highlighting ongoing federal resistance to broader cannabis reforms, including medical access for veterans and rescheduling efforts.
The United States Army is easing rules for applicants with prior marijuana offenses.
Previously, recruits with a marijuana-related conviction were required to undergo a two-year waiting period, seek a special waiver from the Pentagon, and pass a drug test. The revised rules, announced last week, remove those restrictions for those with a single conviction for possessing either marijuana or marijuana-related paraphernalia.
Army representative Col. Angela Chipman said that the policy change reflects the reality that most states now regulate the use of cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes. She said, “As the states continue to legalize marijuana, … at what point are we hindering ourselves by holding people to this type of conviction that in some states is okay and some states isn’t?”
Military officials in recent years have eased enlistment rules after falling short of recruitment targets in 2022.
NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox said that the rule change is indicative of the federal government’s inconsistent posture with respect to cannabis and cannabis consumers.
“While we welcome any easing of federal policies that target and discriminate against cannabis consumers, this particular policy shift appears to be largely opportunistic and not in any way reflective of a broader shift in the federal government’s stance toward those who consume marijuana responsibly,” he said.
“For example, for years advocates have sought federal changes to provide medical cannabis access to military veterans and secure federal employment opportunities for those with a past history of marijuana use, yet the federal government has consistently ignored or resisted implementing these reforms. Similarly, we’ve seen no substantive movement on cannabis rescheduling since the Administration issued its Executive Order in December. Federal prosecutors are re-asserting their authority to criminally charge people for simple possession on federal land, low-level cannabis-related arrests continue to be broadly used as a trigger for deportation, and Congress refuses to hold hearings on even incremental legislative reforms. It’s time to start treating cannabis consumers like people, not political pawns.”