By Steve Neavling
The DEA is standing by its decision to fire an “outstanding” special agent who inadvertently ingested THC after taking a CBD product for pain.
Anthony Armour filed a lawsuit in May in hopes of reversing his termination after he tested positive for THC.
In response to the lawsuit, the DEA acknowledged that Armour “had 16 years of service, had received outstanding performance ratings for three years, and had submitted letters of support from supervisors and colleagues,” Marijuana Moment reports.
But those factors don’t “rise to a level that justifies mitigating the overall penalty,” the DEA responded.
Armour said he had no idea there were trace amounts of THC in a CBP oil he took as an alternative to opioids for pain relief.
The DEA said Armour was aware of the potential that an unregulated CBD product could contain THC.
“Mr. Armour was an outstanding DEA agent when he took a chance in 2019. He believed it was unlikely that CBD products would cause him to test positive for marijuana, but he knew it was possible, and he bought those unregulated products on the internet and consumed them anyway,” DEA attorneys said. “Mr. Armour argues that he ‘displayed negligence or poor decision-making,’ and DEA properly held him accountable for his poor decisions when they resulted in a verified positive drug test. DEA lost trust in Mr. Armour and properly removed him.”
“This was an unfortunate ending to a lengthy and productive career in Federal law enforcement. But DEA is charged with enforcing our Nation’s drug laws, and Federal employees are responsible for what they put in their bodies,” the filing says. “There is a clear and genuine nexus between a removal for illegal drug use and the efficiency of the service at a drug enforcement agency.”
