A longtime counternarcotics agent said he used CBD for chronic pain, considering it safer than opioids. The choice set off a legal fight.
The Drug Enforcement Administration regarded Anthony L. Armour as an “outstanding” special agent on the front lines of the nation’s opioid epidemic. But in 2019, a routine drug test derailed his career. D8 Vape Pen
Months earlier, Mr. Armour said he had begun using CBD oil, which is derived from hemp, to treat chronic pain, deeming it safer than the highly addictive painkillers that were the focus of his criminal investigations.
His failed drug test led the government to fire him, setting off a lengthy court battle that underscored the growing pains of a booming and largely unregulated CBD industry.
Last week, Mr. Armour won his case. In a rare move, the Department of Justice agreed to rehire him as a special agent, provide some back pay, cover his legal expenses and restore his eligibility for a pension.
“I’m excited to be getting back to work at D.E.A.,” said Mr. Armour, 49, who joined the agency in 2004 and is set to return to its Houston office on Monday. “I hope to finish my career at D.E.A. by helping its mission in taking dangerous drugs like fentanyl off the streets.”
The legal settlement between Mr. Armour and the Department of Justice, which has not been previously reported, comes amid a broad re-examination of the dangers and therapeutic value of cannabis.
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