Viewpoints
Opinion

Drug Use Won’t Enhance Military Readiness

Drug Use Won’t Enhance Military Readiness
Leaves of a mature marijuana plant in a display at The International Cannabis and Hemp Expo at the Cow Palace in Daly City, Calif., on April 18, 2010. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00
Commentary
With recruitment down in all branches of service and our nation’s military readiness a subject of national debate, there is a temptation to believe that lowering standards to keep up with the times will be a quick fix. A recent op-ed online proposed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Test,” arguing that “the Department of Defense should stop asking whether its members use marijuana, and the military should stop testing for it.” This is a reckless proposal that won’t enhance our readiness and ought to be swiftly rejected.
Paul Chabot
Paul Chabot
Author
CDR Paul Chabot, Ed.D (U.S. Navy, ret.) served in the U.S. Navy from 2001–2022. He served as a senior advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George W. Bush and is president and CEO at Chabot Strategies, LLC.