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

marijuanamoment.net

191–200 of 266 posts

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

#191
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can tell you right now if any job required a drug test, I wouldn't work there. Airline pilots? People operating dangerous machinery?

So why is getting shitfaced the night before flying a plane or jumping in a 20 story crane okay but not smoking a joint?

Because cannabis can have effects up to a week after if I remember correctly. And it’s not very predictable. Alcohol is cleared out at a predictable rate and has no effect after a few hours, you’ll just be tired.

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

#192
post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Proxy wars are still wars.

"Proxy war" implies the US put Ukraine up to this. The US did not. Russia put Ukraine up to it by invading them.

The US has had a heavy hand in this situation for a decade. You can argue that it's the right thing to do, but it's not like the US just got involved once Russia invaded.

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

#193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may want to look up WW1 & WW2 or even Ukraine ... The US isn't in war. No declarations have been made. No draft is required. No war shortages exist.

Oh, man, is this what the future looks like? We provide the weapons, get other countries to do the fighting, wash our hands clean of the whole thing and call our global adventures not-wars as long as we can still buy gas and toilet paper? Somehow, this euphemistic imperialism of proxy wars feels even sketchier... at least the old empires were honest about their intent. Today it's Ukraine, tomorrow Taiwan, and then wh…

> I guess as long as it's not Americans in body bags, we're in the clear?

More American private military contractors died in Afghanistan than American military. I don't think anyone noticed.

So I'd amend that to "American troops in body bags".

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

#194
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I can tell you right now if any job required a drug test, I wouldn't work there. Airline pilots? People operating dangerous machinery?

So why is getting shitfaced the night before flying a plane or jumping in a 20 story crane okay but not smoking a joint?

That's the big difference. A breathalyzer tells if you're right now actively impaired. Cannabis tests simply show that sometime in the past 30 days you smoked. Doesnt show active impairment.

But the real reason why cannabis was so heavy handed criminalized was because it was a "black, hippie, and anarchist" drug. https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/war-marijuana-blac...

We might actually be turning that around, only after 90 years.

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

#195

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.

It depends on the actual adjudication policy, which differs by agency. For example, for years it was a well-known but unwritten policy that DoE considered marijuana use within the past 12 months to be exclusory but greater than 12 months ago to be acceptable. There seem to be restrictions on putting this in writing (I think because the actual adjudication manuals are classified) but clearance adjudicators themselves…

For a bit more background, the general adjudication guidelines established by the DNI are both unclassified and surprisingly succinct:

https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/Regulations/SEAD-4-...

In the present context, see "Guideline H: Drug Involvement and Substance Abuse," page 17 ff.

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

#196

Or... just decriminalize it altogether, including forgiveness of past use.

It requires the approval of the United Nations Economic and Social Counsel's Commission on Narcotic Drugs to remove a schedule 1 item from a member countries drug schedules provided the World Health Organization approves any uses as medicinal.

They schedule drugs through Article 6 of our Constitution which makes treaties law of the land. Our ability to change drug laws in the US is outsourced to the UN. It's not a "Republican or Democrat" issue specifically. Though, the prison system that is increasingly private which makes money hand over fist on drug users and pushers certainly is an issue either political party could champion and change.

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

#197
I’ve talked to a lawyer who does govt clearances, and the reality is that clearances are rarely denied for past use of marijuana. Especially if a year or two has passed since last use. Lying during the investigation about your drug use is what will get you denied. Unless the bill allows people use marijuana while holding a clearance, this changes almost nothing IMO.

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

#198
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are Mormons outside America?

Big church right in the middle of Paris. On prime, riverside real estate. That can't be cheap and last time I passed by it was missionaries and exchange students coming in and out.

Wealthiest religion in the world, they have massive real estate holdings.

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

#199
post #191
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So why is getting shitfaced the night before flying a plane or jumping in a 20 story crane okay but not smoking a joint?

Because cannabis can have effects up to a week after if I remember correctly. And it’s not very predictable. Alcohol is cleared out at a predictable rate and has no effect after a few hours, you’ll just be tired.

Marijuana’s effects last about one to three hours. A bit longer if ingested. There might technically be longer-term effects noticeable in a clinical setting, but nothing to a degree that would impact somebody’s ability to function at a typical level.

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

#200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

You may want to look up WW1 & WW2 or even Ukraine ... The US isn't in war. No declarations have been made. No draft is required. No war shortages exist.

This is needlessly pedantic. Technically, yes, the United States hasn't "Declared War" in the style of a president standing before congress making a speech. Instead, the country has been engaged in "police actions" authorized by congress, which (at least to me) is a distinction without much of a difference.

> No draft is required.

The draft was re-instituted during Vietnam, so the presence of selective service isn't an indicator for being "in a war". To this day every adult male of draftable age is only an itchy trigger finger away from being called up

> No war shortages exist.

the powers-that-be have been placing a good amount of blame for "supply chain issues" on the war in Ukraine. "Supply chain issues" being newspeak for "shortages".

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