If you’ve ever seen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s short 1942 film “Hemp for Victory,”¹ urgently calling on American farmers to cultivate hemp to meet the U.S. Navy’s WWII need for cordage and textiles after Japan cut off our foreign supply by strategically invading the Philippines, then you know how important hemp is and has been to the U.S. Department of Defense. Given the dense nutritional profile of the hemp seed² and the fact that it’s been in the food supply since prior to the founding of this country,³ one might presume the U.S. military would be feeding it to our soldiers at every opportunity. And when it comes to cannabidiol (CBD) and other non-intoxicating cannabinoids derived from hemp, one might very much presume the U.S. military would encourage our soldiers to consume them regularly. After all, none of these general health and wellness ingredients cause any intoxication or euphoria whatsoever, and each of them have been entirely liberated from the unjust shackles of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 by way of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the “2018 Farm Bill”).^4,5

While the U.S. Military had a strict regulation against possession and consumption of derivatives and even sterilized/non-viable seeds of hemp prior to the 2018 Farm Bill, the Department of Defense has counter-intuitively doubled down on its formal stance against possession and consumption of these substances by active duty military despite the seismic shift in U.S. hemp law and policy that was enacted over two years ago on January 1, 2019.

In February of 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense quietly adopted a policy that criminalizes the use of hemp products by U.S. military personnel.⁶  At that time, there already existed restrictive policies on CBD and hemp seeds in four military branches. In July of 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to allow service members to use products containing hemp, including CBD;⁷ but, unfortunately, the amendment was not included in the Senate’s version of the NDAA, and was not included in the final bill which passed later that month.⁸

The Battle for Soldier Rights to Consume Hemp Derivates is Going Strong!

The battle for our troops’ rightful access to and ability to consume CBD and hemp foods and derivatives is going strong! The U.S. Hemp Roundtable, America’s foremost hemp industry advocacy organization of which Zilis is a heavily engaged Director, is actively lobbying for Congressional support of legislation allowing the use of hemp products by U.S. military personnel. Efforts for the current legislative session are underway.

Hemp-Free UltraIce^™ & UltraEdge^™ in Place of Cannabidiol (CBD):

While our active duty troops are unable to consume CBD, UltraIce^™ provides outstanding homeostasis, healthy mood, and healthy joint function support^†; and UltraEdge™ provides exceptional cognitive and energy support!^†

Homeostasis of whole-body systems is a long-sought-after goal and UltraIce^™ is designed to help you achieve the balance that your body strives for.^† This cutting edge, hemp-free dietary supplement promotes a positive, healthy mood and also helps with muscle pain and inflammation and joint discomfort associated with exercise and strenuous activity.^† UltraIce^™is formulated to enhance the Entourage Effect using Zilis’s proprietary Mimetix^™ formula and curcuminoids through a revolutionary technology that allows for more targeted delivery.^†

Infused with compounds like vitamin B12, green tea extract, powerful botanicals, and Zilis’s proprietary Mimetix^™ formula, hemp-free UltraEdge^™ promotes focus and clarity and supports energy, mental acuity, and cognition.^† Each serving is packed with the fuel necessary to help you perform at your highest level.^†

Hemp-Free UltraBurn^™ in Place of Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) & Cannabidivarin (CBDV):

UltraBurn^™ is designed to help you reach your goals and stay on target by supporting healthy weight management. Our unique UltraBurn^™ formulation includes renowned ingredients like green coffee extract and cinnamon, combined with our proprietary Mimetix^™ blend, to promote a healthy metabolism, help to burn fat and reduce hunger, and to support the efficient conversion of sugar into energy.^† UltraBurn^™ aids in looking and feeling your best!

About Zilis’ Scientific Research & Development DepartmentOur Scientific Research and Development Department is headed up by Dr. Marielle Weintraub, a hemp industry expert. She holds a master’s and a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience and is very active in many dietary supplement and hemp industry trade associations, including her role as the current President of the U.S. Hemp Authority. Dr. Weintraub is committed to the continued development of hemp-specific information and testing to fulfill the Zilis mission.

Science posts for Discover are co-researched and co-written by Kelly McGill, Senior Scientific Technical Writer at Zilis. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in Linguistics / TESL. She has been writing science-related content for over 20 years and is an expert in making difficult concepts easy to understand.

Zilis is the creator of UltraCell™, a CBD oil product derived from hemp. Based in Argyle, Texas, a suburb of Dallas-Fort Worth, Zilis is privately held. Visit zilis.com for more information.