Rep. Matt Gaetz Wants To Nix Cannabis Testing For Military
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would eliminate cannabis testing for individuals wishing to enlist as a member or commissioned officer in the armed forces.
Though it is legal for recreational use in nearly half of all states, cannabis remains illegal at the federal level. With the vast apparatus of the federal government struggling to replace its aging workforce in recent years, recruiters have responded by loosening drug screening rules, according to records obtained by The New York Times.
Gaetz’s proposal could help address the military’s concern over meeting its recruitment goals.
“Our military is facing a recruitment and retainment crisis unlike any other time in American history. I do not believe that prior use of cannabis should exclude Americans from enlisting in the armed forces,” Gaetz said Wednesday in a statement on Twitter.
“We should embrace them for stepping up to serve our country,” he added.
Gaetz has worked to loosen marijuana laws in the past — at one point raising suspicions of improper influence by the medical marijuana industry. A federal investigation looked at Gaetz’s connections to the sector, but no charges were ever filed.
Last spring, the Florida conservative voted with Democrats to legalize cannabis at the federal level with the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, but the bill died in the Senate.
