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

marijuanamoment.net

141–150 of 266 posts

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

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can tell you right now if any job required a drug test, I wouldn't work there. I use cannabis sometimes but it's more the principal of it. It's a privacy violation and positive results don't actually mean you're intoxicated on the job. What people do in their free time is nobodies business so long as it's not harming other people.

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Their _demand_ for dignity also fights against normalizing this behavior even for those who don't have the privilege to make such demands.

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

#142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spying prevents war. It's easier to get into a war if you don't really understand each other. Not to mention if you don't know who has missiles pointed at you.

The United States is constantly at war. If spying prevents war, it's not working. LOL...

No, we're not in a war. Thanks Biden.

What's your counterfactual?

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

#143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As long as republicans continue to say no to that, it's impossible to do. Democrats basically never have actual control over the American Government, it's happened like 4 years out of the past 20, and that's not a new phenomenon. Even in the times they have had "full" control of all portions of government, republican senators are still able to "block" stuff through made up rules and "norms" that democrats don't want…

dems can do many thing, but they don't because they need something for next election.

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

#144
post #92
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought part of getting anything like a security clearance involves their interviewing people from your past. So all it takes is one of those people admitting they smoked pot with you under the bleachers in high school, for example.

It really depends on the level of security clearance, I think. I had a secret clearance years ago, and never heard from friends or acquaintances that anyone had asked about me.

I agree with this. I got a security clearance with the Canadian government, and the only way they could have interviewed my friends was to find them across EU and the world. They relied on police check, including federal, and fingerprints.

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

#145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the first two were caused by Cheney ignoring CIA advice and the third was caused by Putin doing the equivalent. Are you claiming the US shouldn't help Ukraine know where the missiles being shot at their civilians are coming from?

I'm saying spying doesn't really seem to prevent war in the modern era. When inconvenient, intelligence gets ignored. When it lines up with the party narrative, it gets exaggerated and used to fan the flames, then thrown back under the bus after the dust settles. Meanwhile all that capability gets turned against us, surveilling US citizens instead.

Who is pointing the CIA and NRO at you?

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

#146

Marijuana use was mostly OK until Reagan came in. Then DISCO announced a policy change.

Yes the war on droogs predated Reagan, but marijuana use was not a disqualification for getting a clearance until Reagan's crew changed the rules.

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

#147
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clearance is a funny business. They want to weed out things which can be used as leverage against people with clearance. So - financial stuff is their number 1 clearance issue I've heard. If you're deep in debt, or otherwise demonstrate poor control over your financial life. Next up is being part of the LGBT community - if you're in the closet. I've heard they don't care about people being gay per se, just the secret…

A friend of mine says that his coming-out moment happened while undergoing a polygraph to work at the CIA. Basically "you're still hiding something, what is it?", and that was it. He admitted it to the polygrapher at the same time he admitted it to himself. He didn't get the job, not sure if that was why.

Who knows? NPR recently had a segment where they had told a lady for months during the interview process that she was a perfect fit for the agency.

At some point they went cold on her, and then told her to reapply the following year (which she tried for a few years). She'll never know why it didn't work out.

I know at least one person who was not intimidated by the lie detectors, and were able to conceal things which might have been an issue.

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

#148
post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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I have not seen a single social program, safety net or entitlement that requires a urinalysis to obtain.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/welfare-dru...

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

#149
post #90
post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's because the CIA has been a very self-similar group for decades (Mormons). They have blinders of their own.

I thought it was the NSA that was all Mormons?

It's the entire IC.

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

#150

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.

Spying prevents war. It's easier to get into a war if you don't really understand each other. Not to mention if you don't know who has missiles pointed at you.

lmfaooo, "weapons of mass destruction" anybody?
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