Georgia Federal Installations & Cannabis

Georgia hosts an unusually dense federal-defense and intelligence footprint: CDC Atlanta, Fort Eisenhower (NSA Georgia + U.S. Army Cyber Command), Fort Stewart / Hunter Army Airfield (3rd Infantry Division), Fort Benning, Robins AFB, Moody AFB, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Federal drug-testing applies to all; medical-card use is grounds for termination and clearance loss.

Last verified: May 2026

The Full Federal-Installation Map

Installation Location Personnel / Note
Fort Stewart / Hunter Army AirfieldHinesville / Savannah3rd Infantry Division. ~25,500 people total: ~21,200 active-duty + ~4,350 Army civilians/contractors. Coastal-Georgia economic impact: $4.9B.
Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon)AugustaU.S. Army Cyber Command + Cyber Center of Excellence + NSA Georgia. ~16,200 military + ~14,500 civilians; AEDA reports 31,155 workforce, $2.4B impact.
Fort Benning (briefly Fort Moore 2023–2025)Columbus / Chattahoochee ValleyU.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. ~45,000 soldiers + civilians. Supports 120,000+ in the valley. $4.75B annual impact.
Robins Air Force BaseWarner RobinsLargest single-site industrial complex in Georgia. ~24,000 workforce: ~15,000 civilians + ~6,000 military.
Moody Air Force BaseValdosta23rd Wing including combat search and rescue. ~4,600+ military + civilian on ~12,000 acres.
Naval Submarine Base Kings BayCamden CountyEast Coast home of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. ~16,000 acres; ~9,000 active-duty + civilian + contract; ~$1.2B economic impact.
CDC AtlantaAtlanta (Fulton/DeKalb)Historically ~10,000 in Georgia. ⚠︐ April 2025 federal RIF cut ~2,400 CDC positions; another ~600 in August 2025, meaningfully reducing the Atlanta footprint.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportAtlantaWorld’s busiest passenger airport. Federal jurisdiction for security purposes — any cannabis (medical card or not) at TSA or in baggage is a federal matter.
Marine Corps Logistics Base AlbanyAlbany (Dougherty County)Major southwest Georgia logistics employer.

For all federal-installation employees, federal contractors, and TSA-regulated airport workers, cannabis use of any form (including medical-card use) is grounds for termination, security-clearance revocation, and — for active-duty service members — court-martial under UCMJ Article 112a.

Fort Stewart / Hunter Army Airfield

Per the U.S. Army (home.army.mil/stewart/about), Stewart-Hunter (Hinesville/Savannah) employs over 25,500 people: ~21,200 active-duty soldiers and ~4,350 Army civilians and contractors. Coastal-Georgia economic impact of about $4.9 billion. Home of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Fort Eisenhower (Augusta) — Cyber Command + NSA Georgia

Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) is the U.S. Army’s center of gravity for cyber operations and signals intelligence. Per a Fort Eisenhower spokesperson cited by SC Daily Gazette in 2024: ~16,200 military service members + ~14,500 civilian employees. The Augusta Economic Development Authority reports a workforce of 31,155 with annual economic impact of $2.4 billion. The Alliance for Fort Gordon counts 31,874 military, civilian, and contractor employees.

Fort Benning (Columbus)

Briefly Fort Moore (2023–2025), then back to Fort Benning by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s order March 2025. Home of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence. Supports more than 120,000 people in the Chattahoochee Valley; over 45,000 soldiers and civilians work on the installation. Georgia’s third-largest employer; $4.75 billion in annual economic impact.

Robins Air Force Base (Warner Robins)

The largest single-site industrial complex in Georgia. Per the official base website, Robins employs a workforce of almost 24,000 civilians, contractors, and military members; 13WMAZ reporting put the breakdown at "15,000 civilians and 6,000 military."

Moody Air Force Base (Valdosta)

Home of the 23rd Wing, including combat search and rescue. The New Georgia Encyclopedia reports more than 4,600 military and civilian personnel assigned to Moody on nearly 12,000 acres.

Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay (Camden County)

East Coast home port of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. Per MyBaseGuide, NSB Kings Bay occupies about 16,000 acres and employs ~9,000 active-duty, civilian, and contract personnel; ~$1.2 billion local economic impact.

CDC Atlanta

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Historically employed approximately 13,000 people nationwide, with about 10,000 in Georgia as of 2024 (per CDC spokesperson Jason McDonald to Healthbeat). ⚠️ April 2025 federal reductions in force cut approximately 2,400 CDC positions, with another ~600 cut in August 2025, meaningfully reducing the Atlanta footprint as of 2026.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

The world’s busiest passenger airport. Federal jurisdiction for security purposes — making any cannabis (medical card or not) found at TSA or in baggage a federal matter. ~63,000+ workers across airlines, ground handlers, TSA, FAA, food service, and contractors.

Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany

Major Black Belt-region federal employer; logistics hub for Marine Corps. Federal drug-testing applies.

UCMJ Article 112a — The Active-Duty Reality

For all federal-installation employees, federal contractors, and TSA-regulated airport workers, cannabis use of any form (including medical-card use) is grounds for termination, security-clearance revocation, and — for active-duty service members — court-martial under UCMJ Article 112a. The state medical-cannabis card provides no defense at any federal installation in Georgia.

SF-86 Continuous Evaluation

Federal-clearance holders are subject to ongoing SF-86 background updates and continuous-evaluation programs. Off-duty cannabis use that produces a positive THC test or is otherwise documented during the evaluation can trigger clearance review and potential revocation. Holders should not assume that off-duty use during weekends or vacations is private; the federal evaluation system can identify and act on it.

Federal Schedule III Wildcard

If federal cannabis rescheduling (Schedule III, pending administrative finalization since 2024) is finalized, federal drug-testing rules might shift. Schedule III cannabis would still be a controlled substance with workplace implications; the precise impact on federal-installation drug-testing is uncertain. Under current Schedule I status, the federal posture is unambiguous — cannabis is contraband at all federal installations.