5 ms·

Regarding #1, you can get a waiver for past cannabis use if you weren't a habitual user (by self admission) and never faced any legal action (distribution, poss

Regarding #1, you can get a waiver for past cannabis use if you weren't a habitual user (by self admission) and never faced any legal action (distribution, possession, etc) in regards to cannabis. If you have ever distributed any drug (even so far as splitting the cost of drugs with a roommate) you cannot enlist. The enlistment screeners are surprisingly effective at getting people to admit things they did over a decade ago. If you admit to ever using LSD or psychedelics, even one time, you will be automatically disqualified from serving in the military or law enforcement (go figure).

defrost 4y ago
Oddly enough if you joined the British Army in days of yore you might have found yourself ordered to take LSD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqpwkhqTRs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqpwkhqTRs ( Likely also true for other countries, eg: USofA, etc )
- htag 4y ago
  Interesting footage of US soldiers doing drills on LSD. It's really strange that someone learned about LSD and decided to see how well people can march in a parking lot while under the influence. Whoever designed the experiment really didn't understand LSD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbSEU8Hv4lA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbSEU8Hv4lA
  - Gud 4y ago
    The whole point of that experiment was to see how a military unit behaves on acid. Why shouldn’t they be marching the soldiers?
    - 0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
      Is this a thing that requires testing? Do they have units run drills on all common recreational drugs? I could see some merit in evaluating stimulants, but what is the expected gain from most anything else?
      - hakfoo 4y ago
        If it were used as an environmental toxin, would it cause the soldiers to begin shooting at each other?
        getwiththeprog 4y ago
        No, they might start empathising with each other.
      - Gud 4y ago
        They considered using L.S.D. as an aerosol on enemy troops, but IIRC there were problems with using it, don't remember exactly what. It would also incapacitate friendly troops or some agreement was signed forbidding its usage. Long time ago since I went down this rabbit hole last time...
        0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
        Right, but there are known agents that are incredibly legal. I am still trying to imagine the scenario in which making the enemy ineffective was a superior option to dead. I guess the non lethal option lowers the risk of friendly fire? If nothing else, the double edged sword application of chemical weapons was well known at this point.
        foxyv 4y ago
        The ideal scenario for a weapon is immediate, non-lethal, incapacitation. The holy grail of weapons technology is the stun setting on the Star Trek phaser. Making an incapacitated enemy dead: Easy. Making a dead civilian/ally un-dead: Necromancy.
- primitivesuave 4y ago
  This is amazing, I cried laughing. “This man nearly succeeded in felling a tree using only a spade”
nebula8804 4y ago
>If you admit to ever using LSD or psychedelics, even one time, you will be automatically disqualified from serving in the military or law enforcement (go figure). Is this documented anywhere? I have gone on a psilocybin retreat and have considered a career in the air force in the distant future.
- cphoover 4y ago
  For 3 letter intelligence agencies I think it was 10 year statute of limitations... This may have changed
- primitivesuave 4y ago
  Anecdotal from reliable sources, but it sounds like a holistic evaluation. If you’re a strong candidate otherwise, they will overlook drug experiments but not drug addictions.
  - more_corn 4y ago
    You still need a waiver.
- hotpotamus 4y ago
  A quick google search says the Air Force's max enlistment age is 39, so I don't know how distant in the future you mean, but it's probably something to be aware of. I'd be curious about some documentation too, but I suspect it's one of those things where a person who enjoys the odd psychedelic now and again is a poor cultural fit for the military, though the Air Force is by all accounts the least militant branch of the military from what I can tell. Certainly my grandfather had a good career there and he was about the least disciplinarian or serious person (personality speaking I mean; he did a good job as an officer and electrical engineer by any account) you'd ever meet. He certainly spoke highly of the Air Force and said on a few occasions that it helped him to meet one of his major life goals; to make more money retired than working.
- yuppie_scum 4y ago
  Just don’t tell them.
HKH2 4y ago
> If you admit to ever using LSD or psychedelics, even one time, you will be automatically disqualified from serving in the military or law enforcement (go figure). Well how many hits do you need to understand that everything we do could be construed as a game?

defrost 4y ago

Oddly enough if you joined the British Army in days of yore you might have found yourself ordered to take LSD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqpwkhqTRs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziqpwkhqTRs ( Likely also true for other countries, eg: USofA, etc )

htag 4y ago
Interesting footage of US soldiers doing drills on LSD. It's really strange that someone learned about LSD and decided to see how well people can march in a parking lot while under the influence. Whoever designed the experiment really didn't understand LSD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbSEU8Hv4lA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbSEU8Hv4lA
- Gud 4y ago
  The whole point of that experiment was to see how a military unit behaves on acid. Why shouldn’t they be marching the soldiers?
  - 0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
    Is this a thing that requires testing? Do they have units run drills on all common recreational drugs? I could see some merit in evaluating stimulants, but what is the expected gain from most anything else?
    - hakfoo 4y ago
      If it were used as an environmental toxin, would it cause the soldiers to begin shooting at each other?
      - getwiththeprog 4y ago
        No, they might start empathising with each other.
    - Gud 4y ago
      They considered using L.S.D. as an aerosol on enemy troops, but IIRC there were problems with using it, don't remember exactly what. It would also incapacitate friendly troops or some agreement was signed forbidding its usage. Long time ago since I went down this rabbit hole last time...
      - 0cf8612b2e1e 4y ago
        Right, but there are known agents that are incredibly legal. I am still trying to imagine the scenario in which making the enemy ineffective was a superior option to dead. I guess the non lethal option lowers the risk of friendly fire? If nothing else, the double edged sword application of chemical weapons was well known at this point.
        foxyv 4y ago
        The ideal scenario for a weapon is immediate, non-lethal, incapacitation. The holy grail of weapons technology is the stun setting on the Star Trek phaser. Making an incapacitated enemy dead: Easy. Making a dead civilian/ally un-dead: Necromancy.
primitivesuave 4y ago
This is amazing, I cried laughing. “This man nearly succeeded in felling a tree using only a spade”

nebula8804 4y ago

>If you admit to ever using LSD or psychedelics, even one time, you will be automatically disqualified from serving in the military or law enforcement (go figure). Is this documented anywhere? I have gone on a psilocybin retreat and have considered a career in the air force in the distant future.

cphoover 4y ago
For 3 letter intelligence agencies I think it was 10 year statute of limitations... This may have changed
primitivesuave 4y ago
Anecdotal from reliable sources, but it sounds like a holistic evaluation. If you’re a strong candidate otherwise, they will overlook drug experiments but not drug addictions.
- more_corn 4y ago
  You still need a waiver.
hotpotamus 4y ago
A quick google search says the Air Force's max enlistment age is 39, so I don't know how distant in the future you mean, but it's probably something to be aware of. I'd be curious about some documentation too, but I suspect it's one of those things where a person who enjoys the odd psychedelic now and again is a poor cultural fit for the military, though the Air Force is by all accounts the least militant branch of the military from what I can tell. Certainly my grandfather had a good career there and he was about the least disciplinarian or serious person (personality speaking I mean; he did a good job as an officer and electrical engineer by any account) you'd ever meet. He certainly spoke highly of the Air Force and said on a few occasions that it helped him to meet one of his major life goals; to make more money retired than working.
yuppie_scum 4y ago
Just don’t tell them.

HKH2 4y ago

> If you admit to ever using LSD or psychedelics, even one time, you will be automatically disqualified from serving in the military or law enforcement (go figure). Well how many hits do you need to understand that everything we do could be construed as a game?