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Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

marijuanamoment.net

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Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#21

Post by Der_Einzige »

csydas wrote: post #11
koolba wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, goodbye to my go-to strategy of a drug fueled bender with any new business partner to ensure they’re not a narc.

Er, it was never a strategy in the first place? Or this is just a joke? :) But to be clear, law enforcement agents (all as far as I'm aware) are allowed to do illegal things to catch their mark. In the US at least, this is not entrapment unless they forcibly coerce you to do something you normally wouldn't; just smoking or snorting some stuff in a casual setting isn't enough, they'd have to have you more or less at g…

I'm not talking about law enforcement. Consider that many people on HN do work that the spooks would find "interesting" but would not be "illegal". As such, most of the intelligence community is not related to law enforcement. You might be surprised about just how many 3 and 4 letter agencies exist.

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#22

Post by dhanna »

escapedmoose wrote: post #14
yieldcrv wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“your stoner friends”, lol, where are people like you still found? In California, and the entire West Coast, recreational use of marijuana is as normal as alcohol use. People that use substances are different than those that abuse substances, and yet you are conflating the two. “Senate lets people that have had a drink before work at Intelligence agencies” “my alcoholic friends working as spooks would be a threat to…

While I agree with your general point, recall that DC is on the East Coast, and that there recreational marijuana use isn’t nearly so culturally accepted as it is on the West.

That’s funny because weed shops in DC are a dime a dozen.

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#23

Post by robotnikman »

standardly wrote: post #16
qbasic_forever wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it the drug use screening in a security clearance isn't so much because the government are squares but it's that illegal drug use is something that could be used to blackmail you. The worry is if the KGB learns about your cocaine habit they could confront you and demand you work for them as a double agent or they'll expose your illegal activities and ruin your life.

When it comes to cannabis, that obviously isn't much of a factor. How the hell could someone be blackmailed over weed? Most people that use, don't care who knows, certainly not enough to literally commit treason to your country to hide it. I think the major problem is just in principle: it's federally illegal so if you use it you are a criminal thus can't hold clearance

I could imagine it would have been a problem many decades ago in the past when social norms were different. But yep, nowadays it's really no big deal and pretty normalized.

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#26

Post by yieldcrv »

escapedmoose wrote: post #14
yieldcrv wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“your stoner friends”, lol, where are people like you still found? In California, and the entire West Coast, recreational use of marijuana is as normal as alcohol use. People that use substances are different than those that abuse substances, and yet you are conflating the two. “Senate lets people that have had a drink before work at Intelligence agencies” “my alcoholic friends working as spooks would be a threat to…

While I agree with your general point, recall that DC is on the East Coast, and that there recreational marijuana use isn’t nearly so culturally accepted as it is on the West.

consensus on the floor was pretty much unanimous this year, while the committee vote was party line, it got out and everyone else is like “yeah we agree”

“As more states legalize cannabis, it becomes less and less tenable to deny security clearances to those who have used it,” Wyden said in remarks inserted into the report. “The amendment…will help the Intelligence Community recruit the qualified personnel needed to protect the country.”

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#28

Post by motohagiography »

Let me be the first to welcome people with more diverse substance abuse problems to our beloved secret police. My greatest regret is that I can only declare a mere hour of applause for their great personal sacrifices and worthily earned pensions.

Tbh, I kind of liked the idea that decriminalization and liberal attitudes were starving them for talent.

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#29

Post by hyperbovine »

momirlan wrote: post #25

how can they detect that someone "used marijuana" once long time ago ?

They can't, of course. But then your only option is to lie to a federal agent.

https://news.clearancejobs.com/2016/04/02/consequences-lying...

Re: Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies

#30

Post by VeninVidiaVicii »

jeffreyrogers wrote: post #7

You could already get a clearance with past marijuana use (and other drugs) but I guess this would just make it so someone couldn't be denied a clearance solely for that reason.

I got denied an internship at the CIA for my past drug use, which was entirely trying marijuana after it became legal in my home state. I don’t see how someone can possibly be expected to have the personality to gather (human) intel, but somehow not ever have smoked weed.
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