An Arizona police board changes its rules regarding the acceptance of recruits using CBD-based products | Local news



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Applicants for jobs in the field of law enforcement in Arizona may be less concerned about disclosing their cannabis product use after the board that regulates the peace officer certifications for the State approved the use of DBC-based products.

The widely available CBD oil does not fit into a clear category with respect to drug use standards for law enforcement officers, said last month the Council of Standards and Training of Drugs Arizona peace officers.

"We have specific rules for marijuana use, we have specific rules for narcotics and the use of dangerous drugs; However, from my point of view, CBD oil does not fit into any of these categories, "said Matt Giordano, Executive Director of AZPOST.

It was local law enforcement agencies across the state that began to report to the board that the non-prescription use of CBD oil was a recurring theme at new applicants, said Giordano. The substance is a component of cannabis that does not cause intoxication. Tetrahydrocannabinol, called THC, is the psychoactive element of the drug.

He added that the new candidates were revealing to their respective departments that they had used CBD oil on their knees or elbows before a race and had it infused into food . "There are even places in Tempe that can add to your pizza or cocktail. It's not illegal, it's something you can buy over the counter, "said Giordano.

Prior to their decision, the commission had adopted a firm approach against the use of the substance by classifying it in the same way as marijuana use.

Giordano said that the position against CBD products could have prevented the "very good candidates" from becoming peace officers, but no official case of claimants whose certification was refused by revealing their use of the CBD.

Sometimes low concentrations of THC are found in CBD products, but this is now classified in "hemp", which has been changed from the list of substances controlled by the 2018 Law on the Improvement of Agriculture, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The Improvement Act also stipulates that certain CBD petroleum products, although not controlled substances, may contain low levels of THC, provided they do not exceed 0.3%.

However, "this is an unregulated company and nobody checks twice if these numbers are accurate," Giordano said.

The FDA has only approved a cannabis-derived product and three cannabis-related products available on prescription in April 2019.

"If I were still a sworn peace officer, I would refrain from using any form of CBD after employment until the federal government has better management." of his surveillance, "said Giordano.

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Once certified peace officers, employees are subject to the rules and regulations of their service.

"My warning to agency officials is that, if a random drug test proves positive for THC, the internal investigation will fall to the manager for know how this person has ingested this THC, "said Giordano.

For the moment, law enforcement officials in the Pima County Sheriff's Department have not made any specific changes to the use of CBD-based products.

"Our practice is that if it is hemp-based and over-the-counter, it will not affect the job in any way," said MP James Allerton, spokesman for the Pima County Sheriff's Department. "If it requires a marijuana card for medical purposes, we would still consider using drugs or marijuana."

Giordano said the clarification of the policy was part of AZPOST's goal of "modernizing" Arizona peace officers' standards.

"The most important overhaul of our pre-employment rules goes back to the mid-1990s and I think we can agree that society has changed since the mid-1990s," Giordano said. "When our rules were written, CBD oil was not a topic of discussion. The council only clarified our rules; that did not lower our rules at all. "

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Contact Star Shaq Davis at 573-4218 or [email protected]

On Twitter: @ ShaqDavis1

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