ClearanceWatch Board

Robert,

Tough question. Part of the answer depends on your age and part depends on how frequently you used marijuana. I assume you are under 20. Obviously 6 months is a more significant period of time when you are 18 versus 48.

Generally before past marijuana use can be mitigated as a security concern at your age, you should be drug free for at least six months, the only former drug use was experimental or occasional use of marijuana, and there are no aggravating circumstances.

The Adjudicative Guidelines do not specify the exact amount of time that must pass before “passage of time” can mitigate a security concern; however, the Adjudicator’s Desktop Reference (an unofficial adjudicator’s tool) uses the guidance stated above. A copy of the Adjudicative Guidelines can be found at http://lastpostpublishing.com/resources.aspx

Experimental use is generally defined as up to 6 times.

Occasional use is generally defined as once a month or less.

Posted by on Aug 16, 2007 at 02:56AM

Robert,

I forgot to mention mitigating conditions other than passage of time for prior drug use. They are 1) dissociation from drug-using associates and 2) changing or avoiding the environment where drugs were used.

For marijuana use, Adjudicators may also consider Guideline E: Personal Conduct and Guideline J: Criminal Conduct. Under Guideline J peer pressure, coercion, and remorse are mitigators, so express contrition. Under Guideline E the only concern is possible blackmail, so don’t purposefully hide your past misconduct from your family or friends.

Posted by on Aug 16, 2007 at 03:54AM

Mr. Henderson,

did you get the email i sent to you? I clicked on your name as it appears on the post and sent you a msg. Let me know if you did not get it, I have further questions.

Posted by Robert Kramer on Aug 16, 2007 at 11:11AM