US Army Considering Hemp for Sniper Uniforms

Though they remain adamant about disallowing the ingestion of hemp-derived CBD products, the United States Army is now considering hemp fiber as a means for improving the camouflage worn by army snipers.

Marijuana Moment reports that the army submitted a “request for information (RFI)” last week to inquire whether hemp and/or jute yarn/twine could better conceal snipers when they are hiding in close proximity to enemy combatants.

In order for the Army’s Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment division to move forward with the decision, the hemp has to be proven to meet the following qualifications:

• It must be proven safe for long periods of direct contact with the skin
• The natural color must better conceal the sniper and “break up their outline”

Should the army officially decide to use hemp fiber for sniper camouflage, they would need 400,000 yards of it, and unlike jute, they will accept hemp fiber spun in other countries.

Despite the army’s staunchly anti-hemp approach on the consumer product side, this move would still elevate the legitimacy of the fiber side of the industry if they were to go through with it.

Both in 2019 and 2020, the Department of Defense made announcements clearly prohibiting active and reserve soldiers from using hemp products, including non-intoxicating cannabinoids like CBD. 

However, hemp fiber already has many applications in sustainable construction materials, clothes, paper, insulation, shoes, bags, and more, and as you would expect, it’s easier for typically anti-hemp institutions such as the U.S. Army to integrate hemp products when they fall on the fiber side. 

We will continue to keep our readers updated on this and other hemp-related issues as they develop.