Army soldiers aren\u2019t allowed to use hemp-derived CBD even if its federally legal\u2014but the military branch is now asking for information about using hemp yarn in uniforms to help camouflage snipers.<\/p>\n
In a request for information (RFI) posted last week, the Army said that it\u2019s interested in exploring alternative materials to improve uniforms used by snipers to hide from enemy combatants in close proximity. Hemp and jute are among the materials that it thinks could support the \u201cOperational Clothing and Individual for the Improved Ghillie System (IGS).\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cInterest is specifically in a yarn\/twine\/thread used to break up the Snipers outline made from Jute, Hemp or similar natural fiber,\u201d the notice says.<\/p>\n
The Army\u2019s Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment division is \u201cseeking approximately a 48 lb Jute Count, 3 ply, Jute, Hemp or similar natural fiber, yarn\/twine in a natural color,\u201d it continues. \u201cThe current demand for the Jute\/Hemp yarn is 400,000 yards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe IGS is a new and improved Sniper concealment system developed to meet the concealment needs of the Sniper community. The IGS shall have amendable camouflage materials (e.g. jute, hemp, or similar natural fiber) that can be used to change the appearance of the sniper. The IGS Jute, Hemp or other natural fiber will help conceal the Sniper and Scout during missions allowing them to remain undetected within close proximity of the enemy forces.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. And while many have come to associate the crop with its derivatives like CBD oil, there\u2019s growing interest in its other industrial applications, especially given its unique durability, versatility and low environmental impact. Businesses have been marketing everything from hemp fabric in clothing to hemp concrete for buildings.<\/p>\n
Now the Army wants to see whether the crop has potential to better camouflage its snipers. The RFI<\/a> says that hemp yarn can be spun domestically or imported from other countries, unlike jute which needs to be spun in the U.S. even if the fiber comes from a foreign source.<\/p>\n \u201cThe material shall not present a health hazard to the Soldier and must show compatibility with prolonged, direct skin contact,\u201d it says. Also, the material cannot \u201cadd significant amount of weight\u201d to the uniforms.\u00a0Responses to the RFI are due by July 27.<\/p>\n House Appropriations Committee have also recently identified the potential of the cannabis crop as a cost-effective alternative to plastics<\/a>, including language in three recent spending bill reports that encourage research into using domestically grown hemp to reduce dependence on plastic imported from China, for example.<\/p>\n Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and member of the Appropriations Committee, is spearheading that initiative.<\/p>\n Separately, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently awarded funds to researchers to develop 3D-printed hempcrete to be used in building affordable housing<\/a>.<\/p>\n DOE is also sponsoring a project to develop hemp fiber insulation<\/a> that\u2019s designed to be better for the environment and public health than conventional preparations are, the agency announced late last year.<\/p>\n The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also announced last year that it was awarding a Washington State-based company a $100,000 grant to support the development of sustainable bricks made from industrial hemp<\/a>.<\/p>\n But when it comes to hemp and the military, the Department of Defense (DOD) and various branches under the agency have made clear that there\u2019s one use that\u2019s off limits to service members: consuming hemp-derived CBD products.<\/p>\n In 2019, DOD announced the policy barring all active and reserve service members from using hemp products<\/a>, including CBD. DOD more broadly reaffirmed that CBD is off limits to service members\u00a0in earlier notices published in 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n About one year after hemp was federally legalized, the Air Force sent out a notice that\u00a0similarly warned against using CBD products<\/a>\u00a0that are commonly found on the market. A Massachusetts base of the Air Force told pilots last year that they could face disciplinary action for\u00a0possessing any type of hemp product<\/a>, even if it\u2019s \u201cfor your pet.\u201d<\/p>\n Officials with the military branch also said the previous year that it wants its members to be extra careful\u00a0around \u201cgrandma\u2019s miracle sticky buns\u201d<\/a>\u00a0that might contain marijuana.<\/p>\n The Navy, for its part, issued an initial notice in 2018 informing ranks that\u00a0they\u2019re barred from using CBD and hemp products<\/a>\u00a0no matter their legality. Then in 2020 it released an update\u00a0explaining why it enacted the rule change<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Naval War College has gone so far as to warn Sailors and Marines about new hemp products on the market,\u00a0issuing a notice earlier this month<\/a>\u00a0that says members can drink a new Pepsi-owned Rockstar energy drink that contains hemp seed oil.<\/p>\n The Coast Guard said that\u00a0sailors can\u2019t use marijuana<\/a>\u00a0or visit state-legal dispensaries.<\/p>\n A factor that may have influenced these policy updates is that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration\u00a0released guidance to federal agency drug program coordinators<\/a>\u00a0in 2019 that outlined concerns about THC turning up in CBD products and causing failed drug tests. The agency\u00a0issued an updated warning<\/a>\u00a0in 2020 after several more states voted to legalize marijuana.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has separately faced criticism over its stance on cannabis issues.<\/p>\n In March, for example, VA made clear that it won\u2019t provide support for treatment involving marijuana<\/a>\u00a0as part of a new grants program aimed at preventing veteran suicide.<\/p>\n VA\u2019s position on marijuana has been a source of consistent frustration for advocates and veteran service organizations who have been pushing for expanded research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis.<\/p>\n House and Senate committees\u00a0held joint hearings in March to hear from veterans service organizations<\/a>\u00a0(VSOs) about how Congress and the federal government can better serve their constituents, and several of the groups brought up the need to ease restrictions on marijuana.<\/p>\n The testimony echoes what the\u00a0VSOs have repeatedly raised with lawmakers<\/a>. The specifics ranged in scope between the various groups, but the overall message was made clear: military veterans uniquely stand to benefit from marijuana treatment and it\u2019s time for Congress to do something about it.<\/p>\n Separately, military veterans\u00a0would be \u201cencouraged\u201d to discuss medical marijuana treatment<\/a>\u00a0without the fear of losing federal benefits under a recent bill being sponsored by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA). The main thrust of the legislation is to codify existing policies that allow VA doctors to talk about medical cannabis with patients as well as protections for veterans who are candid about their history with marijuana treatment. By doing so, it would enshrine these polices into law so that they could not later be changed administratively by future VA leaders.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a key House committee approved two amendments<\/a> to a must-pass defense spending bill last month that deal with marijuana- related issues in the armed services.<\/p>\n Both measures cleared the House Armed Services Committee on voice votes during a markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).<\/p>\n The first, from Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), concerns cannabis sentencing standards under military code. The other from Moulton calls for a DOD-led study into the medical efficacy of cannabis over opioids for certain conditions.<\/p>\n California Governor Signs Marijuana Tax Relief Bill Aimed At Combating Illicit Market<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The post U.S. Army Wants To Make Sniper Uniforms Out Of Hemp<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Army soldiers aren\u2019t allowed to use hemp-derived CBD even if its federally legal\u2014but the military branch is now asking for information about using hemp yarn in uniforms to help camouflage snipers. In a request for information (RFI) posted last week, the Army said that it\u2019s interested in exploring alternative materialsContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55650"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55650"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55650\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55651,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55650\/revisions\/55651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55650"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55650"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55650"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: U.S. Army Wants To Make Sniper Uniforms Out Of Hemp<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"