- The Washington Times - Thursday, July 6, 2023

Rep. Matt Gaetz has proposed an amendment to a must-pass spending bill that would end marijuana testing for members of the military when they’re enlisting or receiving a commission. 

The amendment is part of a deluge of add-ons recently proposed to be part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The spending package will be one of the priority bills the House tackles next week following Congress’ July Fourth recess. 

Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, pointed to issues with recruiting and retaining people to serve in the military as a reason for the amendment, calling the issue “a crisis unlike any other time in American history.” 

Military officials said last month that the armed forces are facing one of the worst recruiting environments in the past 50 years. 

The service branches, except for the Marine Corps, are expected to fall short of recruitment goals by the end of this fiscal year in September. 

“I do not believe that prior use of cannabis should exclude Americans from enlisting in the armed forces,” Mr. Gaetz said on social media Wednesday. “We should embrace them for stepping up to serve our country.” 

The amendment could also tackle another issue in the military: a growing number of recruits who test positive for marijuana. The New York Times reported that nearly 33% more recruits tested positive for the drug in 2022 than in 2020.

Mr. Gaetz’s amendment is not the only proposal aimed at addressing marijuana usage in the military. 

One amendment seeks to let doctors and other health care providers under the Department of Veterans Affairs recommend that veterans use marijuana for treatment in states where the plant is legal. 

The amendment was proposed by Congressional Cannabis Caucus members Brian Mast, Florida Republican; Barbara Lee, California Democrat; Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrat; and Dave Joyce, Ohio Republican. 

Another amendment proposed by Rep. Tony Gonzales, Texas Republican, would let service members use pot products that are legal under federal and state laws.

• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.

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