‘Synthetic’ pot use rising in military

The military has investigated more than 1,100 cases of
“synthetic” pot use this year as it seeks to clamp down on an increased use of the
difficult-to-detect drugs, The
Associated Press reported.

Military officials have launched an aggressive testing
program in response to the use of the substance called “Spice,” which is a mix
of herbs that causes a potent marijuana-like high and can lead to hallucinations.

The Navy investigated 29 Marines and sailors for using the
synthetic drug two years ago, but that jumped to 700 this year, according to
the AP. The Air Force disciplined 497 airmen, up from 380 last year, and the
Army, which doesn’t track its investigations, said it medically treated 119
soldiers for use of the drug.

{mosads}”You can just imagine the work that we do in a military
environment,” Mark Ridley, deputy director of the Naval Criminal
Investigative Service, told the AP. “You need to be in your right mind
when you do a job. That’s why the Navy has always taken a zero tolerance policy
toward drugs.”

Many states have banned the chemicals found in synthetic
marijuana, and the House passed a bill in December to create a federal ban.

The AP reported that synthetic marijuana was preferred in
the military because until this year there was no test to detect it. The Drug
Enforcement Administration developed a test this year after if put a one-year
emergency ban on five chemicals related to the drug.