Just in case this was on your mind, Stars & Stripes set you clear.
U.S. service members, Defense Department workers and family members stationed in Germany remain barred from using marijuana despite Germany’s new law legalizing the drug, the U.S. Army in Europe said in a statement.
Marijuana enthusiasts across the nation Monday celebrated the new law, which legalizes cultivation, possession and consumption.
However, strict regulations remain in place under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for service members, while DOD and Europe-based military regulations forbid its use for contractors, Defense Department civilians and others in Germany under the Status of Forces Agreement.
The regulations forbid “using, buying, selling, possessing, delivering, advertising, having custody of, manufacturing, storing, packaging, testing, or concealing any controlled substance,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said Friday in response to a query.
Even with Germany’s doors to marijuana consumption opening, military housing and private off-base residences of U.S. service members stand as islands of prohibition.
It remains unclear how regulations barring marijuana possession and use would be enforced off-base. But the consequences of running afoul of drug regulations are potentially severe, even for family members. They include the loss of command sponsorship and early repatriation to the United States without their sponsor, USAREUR-AF said.
The Army in Europe’s regulation also explicitly prohibits personnel from knowingly introducing drugs or related paraphernalia into a military area or facility.
The finer points regarding marijuana use by local employees in Germany and additional guidance for U.S. personnel are “still being negotiated and will be addressed in the future,” the Army statement said.
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