The Army reminds soldiers to avoid poppy seeds and delta-8 in updated substance abuse regulations

The Army recently revised its 142 pages of regulations on substance abuse to remind soldiers to avoid poppy seeds and delta-8, a mild cannabinoid, both of which can produce a positive result on screening tests.

The regulations, revised Oct. 4, detail the Army’s program to reduce substance abuse in its ranks, including manuals for “smart” drug testing, who is responsible for administering tests and the protocol for carrying the testing container to the toilet. and delivering a sample.

For example, the person assigned to watch a soldier provide a urine sample must “possess unquestionable moral character and sufficient maturity to uphold the dignity of the soldier being tested,” the regulations state.

Delta-8 was already off limits, but the Oct. 4 revision reiterates its dangers and reminds troops that ingestion of the drug by the military is prohibited.

Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol is a weaker form of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. It occurs naturally, but most delta-8 THC found in commercial products is created in a laboratory, according to the WebMD website. Delta-8 can be found in products such as gummies, capsules, creams, and vape cartridges.

It’s sometimes called “marijuana lite” or “diet weed” because it produces a faint, less intense high than delta-9, the stronger form of THC, according to WebMD.

“Delta-8 use is becoming increasingly problematic among military ranks,” said Michael Hicks, drug testing coordinator for the Army Substance Abuse Program at Ft. Campbell, Ky., said in an April 2022 Army news release.

The military acknowledged a request for more information this week but did not immediately respond.

The military has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to illegal or illicit drugs. The Army has been testing for delta-8 since July 2021, but the popularity of designer drugs such as spices and their increasing availability prompted its inclusion in the Oct. 4 update.

These drugs are also available in states where marijuana is legal, but are always prohibited in the military.

Drugs like delta-8 “have no use other than to mimic the effects of THC in the human body,” the updated regulations say. They are so closely related in effects to THC that they have the same potential for abuse as THC.

The Army warned its troops two years ago to abstain from products containing delta-8, pointing out that because it is not as widely recognized as some other cannabinoids, it is still off-limits.

“Less than 1% of the population I talk to knows what Delta-8 is or claims to have heard of it,” Byron Goode, a specialist in the Civilian Substance Abuse Program based in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, said in an October message. News item 2022.

As for poppy seeds, their danger does not lie in unwanted risks to physical or mental health, but in the simple fact that they can cause a positive indication for codeine or morphine in a drug screen.

“Candy seeds don’t contain nearly enough opiates to intoxicate you,” says the University of Florida College of Medicine website. “But because drug tests are extremely sensitive, consuming certain poppy seed food products can lead to positive urine test results for opiates – especially for morphine, codeine, or both.”

Poppy seeds themselves do not contain opiates, but during harvest they can become contaminated with opiates in the milky latex of the seed pod that covers them, the college said.

The Army also warned soldiers in July 2021 about possible false positives caused by poppy seeds. This month’s updated alert added further details.

“Soldiers are encouraged to avoid consuming foods containing poppy seeds as newer seed varieties may contain elevated levels of codeine,” the regulation said.

“Although drug testing laboratories have implemented additional measures to distinguish poppy seed ingestion from codeine abuse, soldiers should make every effort to avoid these food items,” the regulation states.