Live data from Hacker News

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

marijuanamoment.net

1–10 of 266 posts

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

#4
post #3

[flagged]

The US government has never had a policy against recruiting drug users as intelligence field agents . Just because they aren't public servants doesn't mean they're not snitches.

I don't even worry as much about field agents. Analysts (i.e. Snowden types) outnumber them significantly and are more likely to be the ones "checking up" on the kinds of people who post here.

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

#6
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US government has never had a policy against recruiting drug users as intelligence field agents . Just because they aren't public servants doesn't mean they're not snitches.

I don't even worry as much about field agents. Analysts (i.e. Snowden types) outnumber them significantly and are more likely to be the ones "checking up" on the kinds of people who post here.

I'd be shocked if there weren't a bunch of people who work for one intelligence agency or another and who read or post here for reasons not connected to their official duties.

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

#9
post #3

[flagged]

The US government has never had a policy against recruiting drug users as intelligence field agents . Just because they aren't public servants doesn't mean they're not snitches.

It took me a minute to get the semantic distinction here.

People directly working for a government intelligence agency, in the sense of drawing a regular salary, receiving benefits like a pension plan, and probably enjoying the protection of some sort of cover (like attache for cultural affairs at the embassy) are "operatives" or "officers."

"Agents" are people in the foreign country whom the officers convince to provide information or services for them.

Aldrich Ames, for example, was an "officer" in the CIA, working for the US, but also an "agent" of the KGB, working for the Soviets.

So, to return to the article, the US government never had a problem hiring drug users as "agents," but would not hire them as "officers."

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

#10

[flagged]

“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 national security”

Post reply on HN