4 ms·

Why, for smoking weed on the Joe Rogan show? Weed and security clearances are such a non-issue. I had a TS/SCI for years but opted to not get it renewed. Why?

Why, for smoking weed on the Joe Rogan show? Weed and security clearances are such a non-issue. I had a TS/SCI for years but opted to not get it renewed. Why? I like to smoke weed and don't wish to cause issues with my employment if it were ever to be discovered or found out. Meanwhile a guy I know who still has a TS/SCI gets blackout drunk weekly. Go figure.

threatofrain 7y ago
Clearance is another issue. One might be able to blackmail you for weed or your sexuality, but alcohol?
- mullen 7y ago
  But it is only an issue because we make it an issue. A persons sexuality is less dangerous than weed and weed is less dangerous than alcohol.
- GhettoMaestro 7y ago
  Right. And why is it a blackmail-able offense? Because it is prohibited. Complete circular logic.
  - EpicEng 7y ago
    It's only circular if you think that the people screening you for clearance are the same people legislating. They're not. I agree it's archaic, but these guys aren't legalization activists, nor do they decide what is and isn't legal.
jmondi 7y ago
This is the hypocrisy I do not understand. They were drinking straight whisky for an hour before they lit the joint and there is not a peep from anyone about that.
- johnzim 7y ago
  The double standard for Marijuana makes zero sense to me, but I didn't see it for what it was until I listened to a track by the Streets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrrQoME56U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrrQoME56U Edit: Just realized the "lyrics" displayed on that video are a pretty poor translation. Try to ignore what's on the screen because whoever wrote them had trouble understanding the accent.
CharlesColeman 7y ago
> I had a TS/SCI for years but opted to not get it renewed. Why? I like to smoke weed and don't wish to cause issues with my employment if it were ever to be discovered or found out. You're hiding something because you fear negative repercussions if it were revealed. Isn't that problematic behavior for security clearance, regardless of what you think about marijuana or what you're hiding? The attitude that "I only follow rules that I personally think are justified" is also problematic for security clearance. Smoking weed despite its federal illegality clearly demonstrates that attitude. It's reasonable to assume such a person would be less likely to follow burdensome security procedures they (perhaps ignorantly and stupidly) don't understand or disagree with. > Meanwhile a guy I know who still has a TS/SCI gets blackout drunk weekly. People like that do lose their clearance. They don't know what they did when they were blacked out; they could have done something they could be blackmailed with or they could be convinced they did without too much effort by an adversary. Here's proof: This clearance denial is the first one I found with ctrl-f that goes into detail: https://ogc.osd.mil/doha/industrial/2019.html https://ogc.osd.mil/doha/industrial/2019.html: > Case Number: 19-00733.h1 > Alcohol Consumption > 09/26/2019 > Applicant has a substantial history of maladaptive alcohol use that has resulted in three alcohol-related arrests and convictions within seven years, with the most recent incident occurring in January 2019. By his own admission, Applicant consumed alcohol two times per week during the week and weekends at parties, and he drank to intoxication at every party. He also acknowledged that he has gone to work hung over on many occasions. Applicant’s actions under the circumstances continue to cast doubt on his current reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment. Eligibility is denied. CASE NO: 19-00733.h1 Here's another that doesn't mention any arrests, just plain alcohol abuse: > Case Number: 18-00767.h1 > Alcohol > 05/23/2019 > Applicant continued to consume alcohol after being diagnosed with alcohol dependence in 2013 and after receiving inpatient alcohol-detoxification treatment in 2016 for alcohol use disorder, moderate. He continues to drink alcohol against medical advice. Clearance is denied. CASE NO: 18-00767.h1 This is apparently the clearance guideline that forbids alcohol abuse: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title32-vol1/xml/CFR-2012-title32-vol1-part147.xml#seqnum147.9 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title32-vol1/xm...: > § 147.9 Guideline G—Alcohol consumption. > (a) The concern. Excessive alcohol consumption often leads to the exercise of questionable judgment, unreliability, failure to control impulses, and increases the risk of unauthorized disclosure of classified information due to carelessness. > ... > (5) Habitual or binge consumption of alcohol to the point of impaired judgment;

threatofrain 7y ago

Clearance is another issue. One might be able to blackmail you for weed or your sexuality, but alcohol?

mullen 7y ago
But it is only an issue because we make it an issue. A persons sexuality is less dangerous than weed and weed is less dangerous than alcohol.
GhettoMaestro 7y ago
Right. And why is it a blackmail-able offense? Because it is prohibited. Complete circular logic.
- EpicEng 7y ago
  It's only circular if you think that the people screening you for clearance are the same people legislating. They're not. I agree it's archaic, but these guys aren't legalization activists, nor do they decide what is and isn't legal.

jmondi 7y ago

This is the hypocrisy I do not understand. They were drinking straight whisky for an hour before they lit the joint and there is not a peep from anyone about that.

johnzim 7y ago
The double standard for Marijuana makes zero sense to me, but I didn't see it for what it was until I listened to a track by the Streets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrrQoME56U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrrQoME56U Edit: Just realized the "lyrics" displayed on that video are a pretty poor translation. Try to ignore what's on the screen because whoever wrote them had trouble understanding the accent.

CharlesColeman 7y ago

> I had a TS/SCI for years but opted to not get it renewed. Why? I like to smoke weed and don't wish to cause issues with my employment if it were ever to be discovered or found out. You're hiding something because you fear negative repercussions if it were revealed. Isn't that problematic behavior for security clearance, regardless of what you think about marijuana or what you're hiding? The attitude that "I only follow rules that I personally think are justified" is also problematic for security clearance. Smoking weed despite its federal illegality clearly demonstrates that attitude. It's reasonable to assume such a person would be less likely to follow burdensome security procedures they (perhaps ignorantly and stupidly) don't understand or disagree with. > Meanwhile a guy I know who still has a TS/SCI gets blackout drunk weekly. People like that do lose their clearance. They don't know what they did when they were blacked out; they could have done something they could be blackmailed with or they could be convinced they did without too much effort by an adversary. Here's proof: This clearance denial is the first one I found with ctrl-f that goes into detail: https://ogc.osd.mil/doha/industrial/2019.html https://ogc.osd.mil/doha/industrial/2019.html: > Case Number: 19-00733.h1 > Alcohol Consumption > 09/26/2019 > Applicant has a substantial history of maladaptive alcohol use that has resulted in three alcohol-related arrests and convictions within seven years, with the most recent incident occurring in January 2019. By his own admission, Applicant consumed alcohol two times per week during the week and weekends at parties, and he drank to intoxication at every party. He also acknowledged that he has gone to work hung over on many occasions. Applicant’s actions under the circumstances continue to cast doubt on his current reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment. Eligibility is denied. CASE NO: 19-00733.h1 Here's another that doesn't mention any arrests, just plain alcohol abuse: > Case Number: 18-00767.h1 > Alcohol > 05/23/2019 > Applicant continued to consume alcohol after being diagnosed with alcohol dependence in 2013 and after receiving inpatient alcohol-detoxification treatment in 2016 for alcohol use disorder, moderate. He continues to drink alcohol against medical advice. Clearance is denied. CASE NO: 18-00767.h1 This is apparently the clearance guideline that forbids alcohol abuse: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title32-vol1/xml/CFR-2012-title32-vol1-part147.xml#seqnum147.9 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2012-title32-vol1/xm...: > § 147.9 Guideline G—Alcohol consumption. > (a) The concern. Excessive alcohol consumption often leads to the exercise of questionable judgment, unreliability, failure to control impulses, and increases the risk of unauthorized disclosure of classified information due to carelessness. > ... > (5) Habitual or binge consumption of alcohol to the point of impaired judgment;