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T<\/span>here were moments in the past few years when Police Sgt. Brian Vaughan would have tried almost anything to break the cycle of sleeplessness that wore him down\u2014to wash away the images, sounds, and smells of violence that stuck to his memory, and ease the constant pain that was shooting through his back. At one point, he found himself tempted to try CBD, a widely available cannabis derivative that can offer relief from many ailments.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have been great to be able to take it and see if it helps,\u201d says Vaughan, a 14-year law enforcement veteran and training coordinator for the police department in Dallas, Georgia, a small city northwest of Atlanta. But he didn\u2019t. \u201cIt\u2019s just not worth the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n That risk is testing positive for trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering compound in cannabis\u2014a career-ender in most law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Vaughan\u2019s dilemma is echoed by cops across the country. Other professions are affected as well, like firefighters, heavy machinery workers, and airline pilots.<\/p>\n CBD is sold in supermarkets, pharmacies, and health food stores, and it\u2019s offered in gyms, bars, and restaurants. It comes in many forms\u2014oils, lotions, tinctures, capsules, or chewable gummies. Menus feature CBD-enhanced tacos and CBD-infused cocktails. Many people see it as a physically safe and non-addictive way to deal with job-associated stress and pain.<\/p>\n Still, the legal, regulatory, medical, and cultural landscape of cannabis, including CBD, remains complicated and confusing to navigate, with plenty of muddy spots. Cannabis is now legal for medical use in many states and recreational use in some. Yet it is considered a controlled Schedule 1 substance<\/a>\u2014and therefore illegal\u2014on the federal level. Because of this status, federally funded research into medical cannabis is largely blocked.<\/p>\n CBD\u2014short for cannabidiol\u2014is extracted from the hemp or the marijuana plant. Both belong to the cannabis family, but hemp-based CBD typically contains lower levels of THC, and it doesn\u2019t create a \u201chigh.\u201d The 2018 Farm Bill made hemp-derived CBD legal if it contains less than 0.3% THC.<\/p>\n It\u2019s those trace levels of THC that make the risk real for people like Vaughan, the police officer from Georgia.<\/p>\n Most of the approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies in the U.S.\u2014federal, state, and local\u2014have policies that strictly prohibit the use of controlled substances such as opioids, methamphetamines, cocaine, and cannabis. Police departments contacted in a handful of states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New York, Texas, and Vermont, do not have guidelines explicitly addressing CBD. But several said the issue keeps coming up more frequently now, especially among younger officers, and command staff would advise their employees against taking CBD. <\/p>\n Any substance that causes an impairment\u2014or creates the perception of impairment\u2014\u201cis a strict liability issue for us,\u201d says Chief Brian Peete of the police department in Montpelier, Vermont, a state where recreational and medical cannabis are legal.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause CBD is still such a gray area, we tell the men and women we represent to err on the side of caution,\u201d seconds Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. The group represents members from agencies like the FBI, the Secret Service, and U.S. Border Patrol. \u201cAnd, at the moment, that means to refrain from using any CBD product.\u201d <\/p>\n The concern is valid, says Dr. Kevin P. Hill, a professor of addiction psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The ambiguity and uncertainty of the legal landscape surrounding CBD create a conundrum for law enforcement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe key issues with CBD are purity and potency,\u201d says Hill, who has written several books about medical cannabis.<\/p>\n Typically, using hemp-derived CBD products does not lead to a positive drug screen, he further explains. Yet sometimes, it happens. Depending on the plant variety as well as harvesting and refinement techniques, the THC level can be higher than the federally legal limit\u2014which makes CBD a legal product with a potentially illegal ingredient.<\/p>\n Also, Hill says that most CBD marketed in the United States is \u201cessentially unregulated or very loosely regulated.\u201d In fact, only 30 % of commercially available CBD products are accurately labeled, according to a research letter published in JAMA<\/a>. And only one specific CBD formula is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration<\/a> as a medication to treat certain seizure disorders, especially in children.<\/p>\n Purified CBD, with zero or untraceable amounts of THC, exists, Hill emphasizes\u2014but finding credible manufacturers requires a lot of research by consumers.<\/p>\n Testing doesn\u2019t always provide a clear picture, either. Standard urine screens cannot identify the source of THC, Hill explains. They can\u2019t distinguish, for example, whether the THC comes from rubbing CBD oil on a sore elbow or lighting up a joint. Timing is another issue, as it\u2019s difficult to determine when THC was ingested.<\/p>\n Police officers are drug-screened randomly or any time they are involved in a car accident, a use-of-force incident, or a misconduct allegation. Most officers who fail a drug test are fired and blacklisted for future law enforcement jobs. Since every jurisdiction collects its own data, numbers are difficult to track.<\/p>\n Among federal law enforcement officers, which make up between 3-4% of the country\u2019s entire police force, \u201cwe saw about 60 cases in the last two to three years,\u201d says union president Cosme, \u201cand it seems like the numbers have been rising.\u201d<\/p>\n There have also been more reports of cops<\/a> who, after testing positive for THC, admitted they had taken CBD with the belief that it contained no THC. Some keep their jobs after a battery of tests and lengthy internal investigations. But those are exceptions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe burden of proof is always on the officer who tests positive,\u201d warns Vaughan, the training coordinator from Georgia who also handles critical incident response for his agency. Even if a failed drug screen doesn\u2019t lead to termination, he says it\u2019s a situation that\u2019s \u201cvery hard to recover from.\u201d It could impact a cop\u2019s future career, including promotions and pay raises.<\/p>\n The specter of a positive drug screen, combined with the lack of a regulated CBD industry, \u201ctends to keep CBD off the radar screens of many law enforcement administrators,\u201d says Chris Harvey, deputy executive director of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council<\/a>, the state\u2019s accreditation agency for cops. Even though CBD could be \u201ca useful tool for people serving in sensitive law enforcement positions,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n There is plenty of anecdotal and some scientific evidence that CBD is effective in helping with a range of conditions that cops typically struggle with, says Cydney McQueen, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Missouri\u2013Kansas City.<\/p>\n While federally funded studies on medical cannabis are still limited because of its status as a Schedule 1 substance, McQueen says, \u201cwe\u2019re seeing more data and clinical trials involving CBD.\u201d<\/p>\n The effect of CBD varies between patients, and genetic differences play a big role, McQueen says. Still, early studies suggest that \u201cfor a significant number of people, CBD can be helpful in soothing certain types of chronic pain<\/a>, improving sleep, and decreasing anxiety<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Police officers experience high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder<\/a> and burnout. About 40% of cops suffer from a sleep disorder<\/a>, which puts them at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. Many develop long-term back and hip problems<\/a>.<\/p>\n McQueen says there\u2019s research underway to examine the effect of CBD on driving, \u201cwhich obviously is critical for law enforcement.\u201d A small Australian study<\/a> recently found that CBD use \u201cis unlikely to impair driving performance.\u201d<\/p>\n Trials have also shown that cannabidiol doesn\u2019t lead to withdrawal symptoms and is not addictive<\/a>, McQueen adds.<\/p>\n Generally, adverse effects from CBD tend to be minor. Taken in higher doses, it can cause diarrhea and, in rare cases, liver function problems. Early case studies<\/a> suggest that CBD interacts with some common prescription medications. Taken with blood thinners like warfarin, CBD can potentially lead to excessive bleeding.<\/p>\n Still, McQueen insists CBD could be a benign alternative compared to, for example, opioid painkillers, prescription sleeping pills, and above all, alcohol. Research results vary, but some studies estimate<\/a> that up to 30% of police officers have a substance abuse problem. Alcohol dependence<\/a> is on top of the list.<\/p>\n \u201cCBD is not a panacea,\u201d McQueen says. \u201cBut it\u2019s good to have another tool in the tool bag of potential treatments\u201d\u2014especially if combined with non-medication approaches like exercise, peer-to-peer support, and professional counseling.<\/p>\n Vaughan says he could have used another tool. In 2018, the 36-year-old policeman ruptured a disc in his lower back during SWAT training. He tried physical therapy, chiropractic care, epidurals, and cortisone shots, and he finally had surgery. Still, the pain was slow to subside.<\/p>\n Being a cop\u2014engaging in physical altercations, sitting for long hours in a patrol car, and wearing some 30 extra pounds of weapons and tools on the duty belt\u2014did not help. Taking prescription pain medication was restricted by department policy. <\/p>\n \u201cThere weren\u2019t too many options for me,\u201d he says, shrugging his shoulders.<\/p>\n Vaughan, who served as a patrol officer for a different agency until last year, says he also experienced bouts of insomnia, burnout, and what he now believes was post-traumatic stress. He says working overnight shifts had him living on just a few hours of sleep. \u201cThat eventually affects your job performance. You become short-tempered and lose focus.\u201d <\/p>\n For a while, he took melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle, but it only exacerbated the nightmares he was already having. He shared with other officers some of his experiences on the street. He relied on family support and leaned on a few trusted friends. He says he looked into yoga and meditation but hasn\u2019t tried either. \u201cThe closest to meditation that I\u2019ve done is prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n During periods of high stress and after particularly grueling shifts, Vaughan says he sometimes turned to alcohol to calm his racing mind. He quickly realized that wasn\u2019t a solution. Over his career, he\u2019s seen peers go from self-medication to self-destruction to self-harm and, in some cases, suicide. Last year alone, 136 law enforcement officers reportedly took their lives<\/a>\u2014more than twice the number of cops killed by gunfire<\/a>. And a recent study from the Ruderman Family Foundation, provided to USA Today<\/a>, suggests that police suicides are often undercounted due to stigma. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s certainly not a path I wanted to go down,\u201d Vaughan says, his eyes scanning the traffic driving by the police station.<\/p>\n Another officer, Mike Edwards, worked for 11 years at a metro Detroit police department. He quit in 2020 amid anti-police protests following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.<\/p>\n While still on active duty, he became a social media influencer on all things police, branding himself as \u201cMike the Cop<\/a>.\u201d In 2019, he says, he decided to try CBD to help with stress, trouble sleeping, and especially muscle aches after Brazilian jiu-jitsu practice, he says.<\/p>\n He took a CBD tincture, a few drops under the tongue. \u201cAfter two or three weeks, I didn\u2019t need ibuprofen after jiu-jitsu training anymore,\u201d he recalls. He also noticed that the usual swelling went down and felt the \u201crecovery from the physical wear and tear of grappling was quicker.\u201d<\/p>\n Edwards says he researched a lot of different CBD brands to make sure the product contained no traceable amounts of THC. He ended up using a broad-spectrum, hemp-derived CBD oil. He screened for drugs at work several times\u2014always with negative results. He also chose not to tell his superiors he was taking CBD.<\/p>\n \u201cI have the personal conviction that this was none of their business,\u201d he says. \u201cThis was my private medical decision.\u201d<\/p>\n But Edwards understands the apprehension and fear that many cops have about using or even discussing CBD. \u201cIt\u2019s a shame that red tape can hinder some common sense,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n Change may be on the horizon, driven by workforce needs and generational shifts. According to Savannah State University research<\/a>, more than 25% of police departments in the U.S. have relaxed their screening criteria for new hires\u2019 past drug use, especially cannabis. In 2019, the Arizona Peace Officer Standard and Training Board issued a statement<\/a> clarifying that police officer applicants would no longer be disqualified if they previously used CBD, explains executive director Matt Giordano. <\/p>\n Until that point, CBD had been put in the same category as marijuana, meaning that aspiring police officers in Arizona\u2014as in many other states to this day\u2014were barred from applying for up to seven years if they had previously used cannabis.<\/p>\n The adjustments come at a time when police departments are struggling to fill their ranks after a recent wave of mass resignations left many agencies short-staffed. <\/p>\n \u201cThese young recruits come in telling us, \u2018Yeah, I put some CBD oil on my knee before I went for a run last weekend,\u2019\u201d says Giordano. \u201cFor them, it\u2019s normal.\u201d<\/p>\n An increased focus on cops\u2019 physical, emotional, and mental health could also promote change\u2014not just for new hires but for cops already on the force.<\/p>\n \u201cThe unique roles and responsibilities of police officers require rigorous performance standards,\u201d says Harvey from Georgia\u2019s standards and training board. \u201cBut a reasonable exploration of new treatments should not be dismissed reflexively.\u201d<\/p>\n Cosme, the federal police association president, believes that CBD holds promise for officers\u2019 health. He says that \u201cagencies need to adapt their guidelines on CBD use\u201d\u2014once there\u2019s clear regulatory guidance.<\/p>\n McQueen says making hemp-based CBD federally legal is an important first step, but it will take broader cannabis legalization for a tidal shift to occur and the stigma to fade. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t see that happening anytime soon.\u201d <\/p>\n Vaughan eventually pushed through his challenges. His back pain is still there every day, he says. But it\u2019s manageable\u2014with lots of exercise and an occasional Tylenol.<\/p>\n Vaughan would like to see more research into the potential benefits of CBD for cops. \u201cLike any other tool in law enforcement, this needs to be heavily evaluated before we put it into practice,\u201d he says\u2014before it becomes an accepted and safe option for police officers to use.<\/p>\n More Must-Read Stories From TIME<\/p>\n