Arizona Police Board Clears Cops to Use CBD Products – By Steven Hsieh (Phoenix New Times) / July 8 2019
The rise of CBD products has sparked a new question in law enforcement circles:
How should police departments treat aspiring cops who admit to using or test positive for CBD (cannabidiol), the active ingredient in cannabis is known for its soothing qualities?
CBD, unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), is not psychoactive. Read: It does not get you high.
Nevertheless, the board that regulates police certifications in Arizona has historically regarded the use of over-the-counter CBD products — such as balms for aches and pains — the same as pot you’d find in a medical marijuana dispensary.
Until last month.
On June 19, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST) issued a statement clarifying that it “does not view the use or possession of over-the-counter products containing CBD as constituting the illegal use or possession of marijuana, a dangerous drug, or a narcotic drug.”
Matt Giordino, the executive director of AZPOST, said CBD has been widely discussed since he started his job in 2018. In a memo explaining the policy directive, Giordino said would-be officers using CBD products aren’t trying to get blitzed.
“Police agencies have seen an increase in the number of applicants that have disclosed the use of products containing CBD during their backgrounds,” he said. “What we are finding is someone who might rub a product containing CBD oil on their elbow or knee before going out for a run.”
CBD products containing more than .3 percent THC that were purchased at a dispensary would not fall under the exemption. AZ POST will continue to prohibit medical marijuana products above that threshold.
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/arizona-board-clears-cops-to-use-cbd-products-11318879
