Do you think legalizing marijuana will benefit or hurt the military?

I found that in dealing with soldiers that were drunk it was always a fight to get them settled down and to the point where we could deal with. The soldiers that were high on marijuana tended to be more mellow and easier to deal with. If you allow alcohol then you need to very seriously consider allowing marijuana.

SGT Virgil Huston - there is also a sublingual spray that is FDA approved called Sativex. Any medical doctor can write for it in all 50 states but to reiterate my point above, if a soldier needs that and has exhausted all other alternatives then that person is probably unfit to remain in the military. We don't allow alcoholics by regulation to remain active nor should we allow habitual users of any other substance to remain. The political and legal ramifications of using legal substances or prescribed substances will have to be determined by those at a much higher pay grade. My personal opinion is that even if legalized it should not be allowed or be highly controlled (ie no use within 24 hours of returning to duty if on leave).

SGT Virgil Huston - Oh trust me I know. I have to write plenty of waivers for all the meds people are on. I don't think the military does a very good job at preventive medicine to keep these folks from needing all these meds in the first place. There is a severe shortage of psychiatric care in the military and it's much easier for them to prescribe a medication than actually treat the patient. Back to the topic, however, Marijuana is not controlled or delivered the same way on any consecutive use. It's extremely difficult to manage and monitor dosage and effects. A prescription medication on the other hand will always give the exact same dose +/- 2% every time it is taken. Sativex was a Marijuana product I mentioned that does have FDA approval and will deliver a near 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, with a fixed dose of 2.7 mg THC and 2.5 mg CBD with each spray. The two biggest complaints are that it costs way too much ($1400/month) and it doesn't give the same effects as other routes (it doesn't get you high). I would only be OK with Marijuana in other highly controlled and regulated products. And to be clear, I'm not a fan of a soldier being on a benzo, narcotic, muscle relaxer, etc and still being allowed to do their job. It doesn't make sense to me when it is known that it cognitively impairs a person, decreases performance, and alters judgment.

I am of two minds about this. I think that - from a clinical point of view, I'm not a user - pot might very well be less dangerous than tobacco or alcohol, which are both legal. And I think if a person wanted to use that they should be responsible with it... no driving under the influence, etc. Now, that being said, I must also point out that I am fully aware of how many military people get into trouble with legal alcohol. DUI, fighting, domestic violence, drunk on duty, late to work due to hang over, etc. I imagine as a high ranking enlisted person, you have had to come down on more than one person for this!! I have also been told by various Vets that it does a very good job of reducing the effects of PTSD. HOWEVER, again, with that being said... it is still an illegal substance in most places. And, even if a state or local government legalizes it, on the Federal level, its not legal. Further, the Soldier, Sailor, Marine and Airman have given up their rights under CIVIL LAW, and agreed to be judged with the UCMJ. As such, marijuana is a no-no. And the military person must abide by that.

PO1 John Miller - Hence my last line. The problem is we do not currently have said technology. Until the tech catches up, I lean towards "restriction of use" in the name of "Good order and Discipline."

This is strictly inside the Military. Outside the military, I believe that Drug Prohibition Policy needs a MAJOR Overhaul from the ground up.

The only reason why I think it's even a bigger deal now is that it's harder to detect on a person, if your quiet wear shades in the rear nobody will know, it doesn't take a scientist to sweep the track line or pick up trash on the parade field or pick weeds out of the parade field. The days of the soldier being spit on and disgraced for doing his job will never go away but if a soldier can now say he's a women and undergo hormone treatment to make him grow breast and have tricare pay for it I thinking smoking can be intergrated into the military. Not to make our military hippies or trash but to take away from the UCMJ the ability to fire a great soldier for one hot piss test with no bad event occurring.

The UCMJ does not fire great soldiers. It is the responsibility of the great soldiers to do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

SSgt S. Potter, fricking outstanding response. The young Military Soldiers of today are not held to the same tough standards as the Soldiers of yyesteryear.They are weaker minded and weaker spirited then we were back in the 80s and earlier. Basic Training was something to be feared and respected. When NCOs or Officers told you yo do something, unless it was an illegal order, you followed it no questions asked or answered. You dropped where you were at to do push-ups, no matter what the ground material was. There were no pads for PT. You ran in Combat Boots because that's what you will be wearing in combat, no sneakers. You give me 20 soldiers from Infantry Basic and AIT form 1980 and I would put them up against 100 Infantrymen that graduated from Basic and AIT in 2015.