Senate votes to let people who’ve used marijuana work at intelligence agencies • Hacker News Board

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

#211

Post by dgacmu » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 9:49 PM UTC

cafard wrote: post #92

pengaru wrote: 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.

The investigation for S is pretty tame. But for TS they do a lot of interviews. I had a long conversation with an OPM investigator about one of my friends' past drug use (he got the clearance).

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

#212

Post by lstodd » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:00 PM UTC

howinteresting wrote: post #68

jeffreyrogers wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah. And the people you network with in a HUMINT job aren't hanging around doing drugs for the most part. They are working in industry or government. Probably a fair amount of drinking but mostly no time for other drugs, or if they do them, keep it discreet.

Huh, I'd imagine cocaine, Adderall and molly would all be very popular among that crowd.

So, various forms of amphetamines.

How.. mundane.

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

#213

Post by antisyzygy » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:02 PM UTC

Zircom wrote: post #204

plonk wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

To my understanding "being tired" (which is absolutely part of being hungover the next day after a night of heavy drinking) is comparable and according to some sources pretty much equivalent to being "under the influence" in terms of how much it can impair you when operating heavy machinery.

I know a couple railroad engineers. They basically had to give up drinking because they could lose their job.

They do some kind of test that can pick up if you drank in the last couple days.

The way they assign shifts too causes the problems. If a shift pops up, they wanna take it, and that could happen at any time.

In any case I'd wager it's related to the hangover problem. You don't want a tired, distracted (by headaches or whatever), grumpy person moving 12000 tons.

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

#214

Post by joker_minmax » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:09 PM UTC

bognition wrote: post #83

crmd wrote: post #57

Marijuana (along with multi-lingualism) is a big reason why the Mormon-American community is significantly over-represented in the US intelligence community.

Mormonism is perfect for raising little worker bees. Mormonism deeply values work ethic and breeds a strong trust of authority. You're taught at an early age questioning authority is a sin and doing what your leaders tell you is the right thing to do. The end result is a group of people who are hard working, don't question leadership, and do what they are told.

Did you use the bee reference because of the Beehive as a Mormon symbol or is that a coincidence?

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

#215

Post by joker_minmax » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:10 PM UTC

HeyLaughingBoy wrote: post #62

crmd wrote: post #57

Marijuana (along with multi-lingualism) is a big reason why the Mormon-American community is significantly over-represented in the US intelligence community.

There are Mormons outside America?

Most of the Mormons at my (US) high school were Mexican immigrants to the US, anecdotally.

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

#216

Post by joker_minmax » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:11 PM UTC

If the government actually fired all their subcontractors and clearanced employees with a weed pen in their desk they'd have almost nobody left. I can't help but feel like worker shortage is why they're doing this.

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

#217

Post by tmpX7dMeXU » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:31 PM UTC

bill_joy_fanboy wrote: post #153

saulpw wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever? Like they go on vacation to visit their families, and they shouldn't be allowed to drink or smoke? I could maybe see this for the highest leadership--the President, 4-star generals, people who are politically or functionally on-call 24/7. But for everyone else, the rule should be, don't show up to work impaired, either drunk or stoned or hungover. (Though I'm not sure how to deal with chronic pain conditions in…

For an intelligence officer, I would say, yeah, you should probably never be high or drunk. Maybe "never been high/drunk" is too strict. If you're mopping the mess hall, you can probably go home and have a six pack if you want. Just not on the job...

What!? That’s absurd. Have you considered the practical implications of that for even a moment? Who takes that job?

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

#218

Post by tmpX7dMeXU » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:31 PM UTC

hollerith wrote: post #160

NegativeLatency wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think I might prefer a high president than a drunk president if a surprise ww3 broke out.

I wouldn't. Hard-drinking military leaders have a good track record, e.g., U.S. Grant, whereas the world has little or no experience AFAIK with high leaders.

You mean to say that there isn’t as big a public record of leaders consuming illicit substances?

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

#219

Post by tmpX7dMeXU » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:33 PM UTC

joker_minmax wrote: post #214

bognition wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mormonism is perfect for raising little worker bees. Mormonism deeply values work ethic and breeds a strong trust of authority. You're taught at an early age questioning authority is a sin and doing what your leaders tell you is the right thing to do. The end result is a group of people who are hard working, don't question leadership, and do what they are told.

Did you use the bee reference because of the Beehive as a Mormon symbol or is that a coincidence?

Love myself some Babylon Bee.

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

#220

Post by LargeTomato » Tue, Aug 01, 2023, 10:41 PM UTC

I applied to the CIA in college. I had a great chat with the recruiter and he told me to apply online and come in for an interview the following morning.

I filled out the app and they asked "How many times have you consumed marijuana in the past year?" I answered honestly, "150 times".

They did not call me back.