The Navy is softening its stance on marijuana

With recruiting down, the U.S. Navy is taking a softer approach to marijuana use

Their motto used to be “See the world, join the Navy,” but in recent years it has been difficult to attract young people to serve in the armed forces. Only 23% of young people between the ages of 17 and 24 even qualify for military service. Even fewer have expressed a desire to come forward, officials said. Generation Z is also changing their career aspirations; they prefer to see the world in their own way. Additionally, Generation Z has a different outlook on life when it comes to alcohol and drugs. They've turned away from alcohol and turned to marijuana – particularly gummies and e-cigarettes. They are an important part of the California sobriety movement.

RELATED: Most Popular Marijuana Flavors

In response to changes and to be competitive with almost all other businesses/opportunities, the Navy appears to be softening its stance on marijuana. They will no longer immediately throw out recruits who arrive at Recruit Training Command's boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois, with detectable amounts of marijuana in their systems.

Photo by skeeze via Pixabay

The Navy increased the number of positive drug tests by 68%, from 3,367 in 2021 to 5,661 in 2022. This increase is due to the increase in THC use (nearly 80% of all positive tests): including the Delta 8 variant ( CBD; testing began in 2021) and the traditional Delta-9 variant (cannabis).

Rear Adm. James Waters, director of the Navy's Division of Military Personnel Plans and Policy, issued a statement. “The Service has expanded authority to grant waivers to all recruits who initially test positive for THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana.”

“If they fail the test and admit, 'Yes, I smoke marijuana,' we do an evaluation of the young person to make sure there's nothing else going on,” Waters said. “But we trust that through the boot camp process we have the opportunity to connect them with our culture.”

RELATED: How to be discreet when using weed

The Navy has a zero-tolerance policy for active-duty drug use. They state that this is based on federal law and that no test can adequately test a person's fitness for duty based on the amount of THC in their body.

The current philosophy is that THC use is not a moral issue (right or wrong). Instead, it is inconsistent with the Navy's mission to prepare to fight and win anytime, anywhere.

In September 2022, the Air Force and Space Force announced a new pilot program that would allow certain applicants who tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, the opportunity to retest and potentially be accepted into the ranks become. As of December, the Air Force Recruiting Service granted waivers to 43 applicants who tested positive for THC. This was bigger than expected.