Medical Cannabis Card Affects Security Clearance

[Mercy&Grace]

Many agencies and employers use hair when performing drug screens. Evidence of drugs can stay in hair indefinitely. Stopping the use of a drug for weeks or longer prior to a drug test using hair does not stop the drug from showing up.

Employers have the right to not hire or fire those that test positive for drugs. Many mistakenly believe if you live in a state where medical or recreational marijuana is legal a employer cannot fire you if you test positive for THC. This is not true.

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[LegalWriter]

Doing a hair follicle test is very expensive and other than government employment, I doubt many private companies are willing to pay that kind of money. Also, the way you posted, isn't clear. When someone uses a drug, it reflects in the hair follicle beginning at the root. As the hair grows out, that positive portion stays where it was in the follicle as it grows out. The closer the drug is found to the hair root, the more recent the use. The drug is IN the follicle itself, not on the surface like hair gel. If you have long hair, your past drug exposure can be traced for as long as it took for your hair to gain that length. Also the body stores MJ in the fat cells and it can take more than 120 days to be completely filtered out depending upon the amount of fat a person carries. I have seen the metabolite it show up in a urine test even after 120 days. Even in states where MJ use is legal, if your use of MJ is deemed a safety risk, you can be denied employment on that basis or terminated.

[flyingron]

I spent 30 years working for the US Army and various contractors that sold into the most sensitive areas of the government. I've never heard of a hair follicle or even a pee test being administered. They ask on the form and then they go around asking your friends and neighbors and coworkers and the local police departments, etc... whether you have ever been known to take drugs. A med-mj card would be really bad to have if you didn't disclose it. Many things that are taboo on the security clearance are forgiveable if you disclose them and swear (and possibly prove) that you aren't going to use them anymore. THe one thing that is clearly UNFORGEABLE is lying on your applications and other attestations. The whole security clearance thing is trust, and TRUST is the #1 thing they are lookign for.

[Harold99]

I spent 30 years working for the US Army and various contractors that sold into the most sensitive areas of the government. I've never heard of a hair follicle or even a pee test being administered. They ask on the form and then they go around asking your friends and neighbors and coworkers and the local police departments, etc... whether you have ever been known to take drugs. A med-mj card would be really bad to have if you didn't disclose it. Many things that are taboo on the security clearance are forgiveable if you disclose them and swear (and possibly prove) that you aren't going to use them anymore. THe one thing that is clearly UNFORGEABLE is lying on your applications and other attestations. The whole security clearance thing is trust, and TRUST is the #1 thing they are lookign for.

In the 1980's I had a secret DOD clearance with about eight SAC (special access clearances) clearances to closed door projects. It was for building spy satellites for TRW Space and Defense. I can say they DO pee test because I took a few.

[Mark47n]

I spent 30 years working for the US Army and various contractors that sold into the most sensitive areas of the government. I've never heard of a hair follicle or even a pee test being administered. They ask on the form and then they go around asking your friends and neighbors and coworkers and the local police departments, etc... whether you have ever been known to take drugs. A med-mj card would be really bad to have if you didn't disclose it. Many things that are taboo on the security clearance are forgiveable if you disclose them and swear (and possibly prove) that you aren't going to use them anymore. THe one thing that is clearly UNFORGEABLE is lying on your applications and other attestations. The whole security clearance thing is trust, and TRUST is the #1 thing they are lookign for.

They did follicle tests when I enlisted in the Army in the '90's and the mill that I work at now uses hair sampling. Construction companies routinely drug test, the RR does, and more.

[flyingron]

Hal, that was almost certainly a test done by your employer in their drugs in the workplace program. While this is a requirement to get federal contracts, it doesn't necessarily require testing, nor is it directly related to any particular employee's security clearance. Indeed, I've read the requirements and had a successful program established that didn't involve any routine testing.

They did follicle tests when I enlisted in the Army in the '90's and the mill that I work at now uses hair sampling. Construction companies routinely drug test, the RR does, and more.

Not saying companies don't drug test, but the Feds do not require it as a condition of getting a clearance. We didn't drug test and I guarantee that we had people with clearances you've never heard of. Many of the government entities that we contracted to don't even exist publicly.

The key is, that the drug testing isn't the issue. Even in the military, the drug testing is potentially excusable. The point is that intentionally lying on a security clearance application is a much bigger issue.

The Medical MJ card is going to raise eyes if detected so you should disclose. You can explain that you've found other ways to get around the condition than (federally) illegal drugs.

[Harold99]

Hal, that was almost certainly a test done by your employer in their drugs in the workplace program. While this is a requirement to get federal contracts, it doesn't necessarily require testing, nor is it directly related to any particular employee's security clearance. Indeed, I've read the requirements and had a successful program established that didn't involve any routine testing.



Not saying companies don't drug test, but the Feds do not require it as a condition of getting a clearance. We didn't drug test and I guarantee that we had people with clearances you've never heard of. Many of the government entities that we contracted to don't even exist publicly.

The key is, that the drug testing isn't the issue. Even in the military, the drug testing is potentially excusable. The point is that intentionally lying on a security clearance application is a much bigger issue.

The Medical MJ card is going to raise eyes if detected so you should disclose. You can explain that you've found other ways to get around the condition than (federally) illegal drugs.

I was told the background checks that I went through cost between $10-20K back in the eighties. That was paid for with Fed Project money and yes, they did have pee tests included.

[flyingron]

I was told the background checks that I went through cost between $10-20K back in the eighties. That was paid for with Fed Project money and yes, they did have pee tests included.

That doesn't change anything I said.