Hemp Soap Made Me Fail Drug Test, Fired NYPD Officer Says

NEW YORK CITY — A fired NYPD cop wants to wash his record clean after he said his hemp soap made him fail a drug test, according to a new lawsuit.

Former Officer Jeremy Jacinto sued the NYPD Wednesday over his termination after a drug test that found carboxy THC — a metabolite of cannabis — in his system, a complaint filed in Manhattan court states.

Jacinto argues he wasn't toking up marijuana. Instead, he maintains that his soap was to blame.

"Prior to this test, the petitioner had been using 'Dr. Bronner's All-One Hemp Almond Pure-Castile Bar Soap,'" the suit states.

"This product contains Organic Hemp Seed Oil."

Both hemp and marijuana come from the cannabis plant, although hemp typically does not contain enough THC to cause impairment and is broadly legal and used in many products.

Recreational marijuana is now legal in New York, but NYPD officers are "strictly prohibited from drug use, including marijuana," according to the city.

Jacinto, who was hired by the NYPD in 2020, was in the midst of a two-year probationary period when he was ordered to submit to an "end of probation" physical and drug screening in September, the lawsuit states.

The NYPD didn't ask Jacinto what over-the-counter health products he used, according to the lawsuit.

"Nowhere in the Patrol Guide for the Police Department of the City of New York does it prohibit members from using hemp seed oil soaps or products," the complaint states. "Additionally, no questions are asked prior to the test concerning the use or exposure to hemp seed oil."

A drug test on three of Jacinto's hairs came back positive for carboxy THC, which prompted police officials to suspend him, then place him on modified duty and ultimately terminate him on Dec. 29, the lawsuit states.

The suit argues Jacinto should be reinstated because he was "terminated as the result of using a legal over-the-counter healthcare product" that has NYPD approval.

Jacinto's attorney John Tynan didn't respond to Patch's request for comment as of publication. City officials told Patch they'll review the complaint.

At least a few Dr. Bronner's customers have had questions about whether the hemp soap products can lead to failed drug tests, as this Amazon question page shows.

Patch reached out to Dr. Bronner's for comment. The company previously told concerned customers that there's no risk of failing a drug test after using its products.

"Don't worry Hemp contains no THC and makes up about 2% of the soap, crucial to smooth after feel," Dr. Bronner's tweeted in 2017. "U won't fail drug test either."