Fourteen Cadets Face Disenrollment For Drug Use

Fourteen cadets at the could be expelled after an investigation determined that they used synthetic marijuana on campus.

The cadets are being processed for disenrollment from the service academy following the findings of an investigation by academy officials, according to the Coast Guard Academy Public Affairs Office. Eight others have also been implicated or are under investigation in the matter. The 14 cadets may appeal the disenrollment to the Assistant Commandant for Human Resources at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“While we are certainly disappointed with the conduct involved in this incident, these actions are not indicative of the behavior of our corps of cadets,” said Rear Admiral Sandra Stosz, superintendent of the academy, in a statement. "The use of synthetic marijuana is a troubling issue nationwide.  As a military institution, we hold cadets to the highest standards of conduct and go to great lengths to ensure those standards are clearly understood and strictly enforced.”

Last March, the Drug Enforcement Agency banned five chemical substances used to replicate the effects of marijuana. The DEA determined that the substances had dangerous side effects including anxiety attacks and elevated heart rate.