MILITARY personnel who admit they have drug problems are being referred at government expense to civilian treatment programs, some of which advise them on safer drug use such as eating hash cookies instead of smoking "joints".

In a deviation from its stated zero tolerance policy, the Defence Department is quietly preparing the way for the acceptance of the use of some "soft" drugs.

Forensic psychiatrist Rod Milton, who is a long-time member of the RAAF and an adviser to the military, said the new "agenda" was driven by the Defence mental health directorate.

In his view, it not only threatened the zero tolerance approach but risked causing a major split in defence circles.

Dr Milton is only one of those involved expressing concerns about Defence's new drug and alcohol treatment programs. Some Defence sources claim there is a dramatic shift in the "paradigm of treatment" for drug and alcohol abuse.

"We are slowly being prepared to accept levels of recreational drugs," one defence professional said.

But Defence denies it has scrapped zero tolerance. It also denies taking a softer line on recreational drugs.

Defence said that 76 personnel who this year tested positive for drugs had been asked to "show cause" as to why they should not be sacked.

Dr Milton has written to Defence Minister Robert Hill warning him about the "alarming developments" in Defence's alcohol and drug abuse treatment.

"RAAF members using marijuana (are being) directed to civilian counsellors using an approach known as 'Weed Control', which aims at reduction in usage, not necessarily abstinence," he said in the letter to Senator Hill.

Effective Weed Control also gives recipes for "pot butter" for use on toast and in cakes and biscuits.

In May at Defence's annual mental health conference, strategies for dealing with alcohol, drugs and suicide were discussed behind closed doors.

Chief Defence doctor Tony Austin said then the Defence Force was not abandoning its zero tolerance policy but no one would be "automatically" discharged for using recreational drugs.

Air Commodore Austin said it would be "unnatural justice" and "unduly harsh" to throw a person out of the forces who had shown a "failure of judgment".

He managed to suggest heroin use would not be tolerated but there was a different attitude to marijuana.

Dr Milton's concerns were addressed by Mal Brough, formerly the minister assisting Senator Hill, who wrote back to say that "Effective Weed Control" was a model that reflected "current field practice". Mr Brough's office said that in the case of one soldier, Defence had considered sending him to the Effective Weed Control program. They said it was just one of the available options.

Opposition defence spokesman Chris Evans declined to comment.

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