There 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—to 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.
“It would have been great to be able to take it and see if it helps,” 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’t. “It’s just not worth the risk.”
That risk is testing positive for trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering compound in cannabis—a career-ender in most law enforcement agencies in the U.S. Vaughan’s dilemma is echoed by cops across the country. Other professions are affected as well, like firefighters, heavy machinery workers, and airline pilots.
– Read the entire article at Time.
Original Article
