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Check before Buy: It Could Save Your Career

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alexa Culbert
  • 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

Many consumer manufactures have released lines of energy drinks and food that contain hemp seed oil, and they’re not the only one to jump on the bandwagon.

As more states move to legalize marijuana, producers are jumping at the chance to market its novelty.

Marijuana derivatives can be found in products that range from shampoos and lotions to protein powder and energy drinks.

Alicia Santana, Demand Drug Reduction Program manager, warns that hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) in products is not always obvious.

Granola bars for example are a common snack of choice and normally are authorized for consumption. However, certain companies within their lineup of flavors, may have bars containing hemp as an ingredient.

“Check all your ingredients, no matter if its food, drink, lotion or supplements. Whatever’s going into your body, always check the ingredients,” said Santana.

According to the Public Law 115-334, Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, hemp is no longer defined as marijuana and can contain 0.3% of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) before its classification is changed to that of marijuana.

However, the concentration of THC is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“If it’s not under FDA or DEA approval, then there’s no regulation and you don’t know what type of chemicals they’re using,” said Santana.

“They could have one batch that has a higher concentration [of hemp or CBD] that could potentially make somebody test positive on a urinalysis test,” she said. “Since it’s not regulated, you can’t know exactly how much of what they have is going into that product.”

To protect the integrity and reliability of the Military Drug Demand Reduction Program, knowingly ingesting or using products that containing CBD or hemp is prohibited and is punishable under Article 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

“In the military, we’re held to a higher standard. We need to watch what goes into our bodies,” said Santana. “There’s no such thing as accidental ingestion anymore, because everyone’s accountable for themselves.”