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ISCR Case 21-02251 — CASE

ISCR Case 21-02251granted

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-02251

grantedJun 28, 2022· Hon. Edward W. Loughran· hearing

Summary

This case concerns a 60-year-old defense contractor who was granted eligibility for a security clearance under Guideline H, Drug Involvement. The Statement of Reasons alleged that the applicant possessed and used marijuana, raising disqualifying conditions AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(c).

However, the administrative judge applied mitigating conditions AG ¶ 26(a) and AG ¶ 26(b) and ultimately granted the clearance. The decision highlighted that the applicant had abstained from illegal drug use since July 2020.

Key factors in the decision included the applicant's credible testimony about his intent to abstain from future drug use, and his demonstrated pattern of abstinence and disassociation from drug-using associates. The judge concluded that the applicant's current reliability and trustworthiness were satisfactory, leading to the grant of access to classified information.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant has not used illegal drugs since July 2020.
He provided credible testimony regarding his intent to abstain from future drug use.
The applicant demonstrated a pattern of abstinence and disassociation from drug-using associates.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedAny Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedBehavior Happened so Long Ago, Was Infrequent, or Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 26(b)appliedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement and Evidence of Actions Taken to Overcome the Problem

Key Rule Quoted

“The illegal use of controlled substances... can raise questions about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness.”
— AG ¶ 24

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedNov 12, 2021
Answer filedNov 30, 2021
Hearing heldJul 14, 2022
Decision dateJun 28, 2022

Cite For

Mitigation of Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Demonstrating a Pattern of Abstinence From Illegal Drug Use
Consideration of the Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Decisions

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline H (Drug Involvement) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the applicant possessed and used marijuana but determined that this conduct no longer casts doubt on his reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment. The applicant has abstained from illegal drug use for an appropriate period, and the judge concluded that illegal drug use is unlikely to recur, resulting in a decision to grant eligibility for a security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant possessed and used marijuana.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Occasional	Admitted	—	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	Documented Signed Intent with Revocation Clause

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline H). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.

Decision text, by section

DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS

HEARING

APPEARANCES

______________ ______________ DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFENSE OFFICE OF HEARINGS AND APPEALS In the matter of: ) ) ) ISCR Case No. 21-02251 ) Applicant for Security Clearance ) Appearances For Government: Nicole A. Smith, Esq., Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se 06/28/2022

STATEMENT OF CASE

LOUGHRAN, Edward W., Administrative Judge: Applicant mitigated the security concerns under Guideline H (drug involvement and substance misuse). Eligibility for access to classified information is granted. Statement of the Case On November 12, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) to Applicant detailing security concerns under Guideline H. Applicant responded to the SOR on November 30, 2021, and requested a hearing before an administrative judge. The case was assigned to me on June 14, 2022. The hearing was convened as scheduled on July 14, 2022. Procedural and Evidentiary Rulings Evidence Government Exhibits (GE) 1 and 2 were admitted in evidence without objection. Applicant testified, called a witness, and submitted Applicant’s Exhibits (AE) A through

F. AE A, B, E, and F were admitted without objection. AE C and D were admitted over the Government’s objection. Motion to Amend SOR Department Counsel’s motion to amend the SOR by deleting the language “while employed in a sensitive position” was granted without objection.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Applicant is a 60-year-old employee of a defense contractor. He has worked for his current employer since June 2019. He held a security clearance from about 1991 to 2011, but it lapsed while he did non-defense work. This is his first application for a security clearance since the lapse. He has a bachelor’s degree earned in 1984, and a master’s degree earned in 1987. He is married with adult children and stepchildren. (Transcript (Tr.) at 31-33, 36; GE 1, 2) Applicant used marijuana in his youth, and then did not use it again until about 2018. From about August 2018 to July 2020, he used marijuana on a number of occasions in a state where recreational marijuana use is legal under state law, and in his home state where recreational marijuana use is illegal under state law, but decriminalized, depenalized, or rarely prosecuted. He used it on several occasions with a friend who had cancer. His friend used marijuana to help alleviate the symptoms. His friend has passed away. He also used marijuana on a river-rafting trip and on a camping and mountain biking trip. (Tr. at 33-36; Applicant’s response to SOR; GE 1, 2) Applicant reported his drug use on the Questionnaire for National Security Positions (SF-86) he submitted in November 2020. He fully discussed his drug use during his background interview in January 2021. He has not used marijuana or any other illegal drugs since July 2020. (Tr. at 35-37; Applicant’s response to SOR; GE 1, 2; AE A, B) Applicant did not fully grasp the significance of his marijuana use because of its increasing acceptance by states and the public. He no longer associates with people who use marijuana. He signed a statement of intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse, acknowledging that any future involvement or misuse is grounds for revocation of his national security eligibility. He credibly testified that he does not intend to use marijuana or any other illegal drug in the future. (Tr. at 34-37; Applicant’s response to SOR; GE 2; AE D, E) Applicant called a witness, and he submitted documents and letters attesting to his excellent job performance and moral character. He is praised for his judgment, reliability, trustworthiness, dependability, ethics, and honesty. He is recommended for a security clearance. (Tr. at 22-28; Applicant’s response to SOR; AE F)

POLICIES

This case is adjudicated under Executive Order (EO) 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; DOD Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the adjudicative guidelines (AG), which became effective on June 8, 2017. When evaluating an applicant’s suitability for a security clearance, the administrative judge must consider the adjudicative guidelines. In addition to brief introductory explanations for each guideline, the adjudicative guidelines list potentially disqualifying conditions and mitigating conditions, which are to be used in evaluating an applicant’s eligibility for access to classified information. These guidelines are not inflexible rules of law. Instead, recognizing the complexities of human behavior, administrative judges apply the guidelines in conjunction with the factors listed in the adjudicative process. The administrative judge’s overarching adjudicative goal is a fair, impartial, and commonsense decision. According to AG ¶ 2(c), the entire process is a conscientious scrutiny of a number of variables known as the “whole-person concept.” The administrative judge must consider all available, reliable information about the person, past and present, favorable and unfavorable, in making a decision. The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration. AG ¶ 2(b) requires that “[a]ny doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.” Under Directive ¶ E3.1.14, the Government must present evidence to establish controverted facts alleged in the SOR. Under Directive ¶ E3.1.15, the applicant is responsible for presenting “witnesses and other evidence to rebut, explain, extenuate, or mitigate facts admitted by the applicant or proven by Department Counsel.” The applicant has the ultimate burden of persuasion to obtain a favorable security decision. A person who seeks access to classified information enters into a fiduciary relationship with the Government predicated upon trust and confidence. This relationship transcends normal duty hours and endures throughout off-duty hours. The Government reposes a high degree of trust and confidence in individuals to whom it grants access to classified information. Decisions include, by necessity, consideration of the possible risk the applicant may deliberately or inadvertently fail to safeguard classified information. Such decisions entail a certain degree of legally permissible extrapolation of potential, rather than actual, risk of compromise of classified information. Section 7 of EO 10865 provides that adverse decisions shall be “in terms of the national interest and shall in no sense be a determination as to the loyalty of the applicant concerned.” See also EO 12968, Section 3.1(b) (listing multiple prerequisites for access to classified or sensitive information).

ANALYSIS

Guideline H, Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse The security concern for drug involvement and substance misuse is set out in AG ¶ 24: The illegal use of controlled substances, to include the misuse of prescription and non-prescription drugs, and the use of other substances that cause physical or mental impairment or are used in a manner inconsistent with their intended purpose can raise questions about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness, both because such behavior may lead to physical or psychological impairment and because it raises questions about a person’s ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations. Controlled substance means any “controlled substance” as defined in 21 U.S.C. 802. Substance misuse is the generic term adopted in this guideline to describe any of the behaviors listed above. The guideline notes several conditions that could raise security concerns under AG ¶ 25. The following are potentially applicable in this case: (a) any substance misuse (see above definition); and (c) illegal possession of a controlled substance, including cultivation, processing, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or possession of drug paraphernalia. Applicant possessed and used marijuana. The above disqualifying conditions are applicable. AG ¶ 26 provides conditions that could mitigate security concerns. The following are potentially applicable: (a) the behavior happened so long ago, was so infrequent, or happened under such circumstances that it is unlikely to recur or does not cast doubt on the individual’s current reliability, trustworthiness, or good judgment; and (b) the individual acknowledges his or her drug involvement and substance misuse, provides evidence of actions taken to overcome this problem, and has established a pattern of abstinence, including, but not limited to: (1) disassociation from drug-using associates and contacts; (2) changing or avoiding the environment where drugs were used; and

(3) providing a signed statement of intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse, acknowledging that any future involvement or misuse is grounds for revocation of national security eligibility. Applicant has not used any illegal drugs since July 2020. He credibly testified that he does not intend to use illegal drugs in the future. He fully disclosed his drug involvement on his SF-86 and throughout the security clearance proceedings, which bolsters his credibility. He signed a statement of intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse, acknowledging that any future involvement or misuse is grounds for revocation of national security eligibility. His conduct no longer casts doubt on his reliability, trustworthiness, and good judgment. I find that Applicant has abstained from illegal drug use for an appropriate period, and that illegal drug use is unlikely to recur. AG ¶¶ 26(a) and 26(b) are applicable.

WHOLE PERSON CONCEPT

Under the whole-person concept, the administrative judge must evaluate an applicant’s eligibility for a security clearance by considering the totality of the applicant’s conduct and all relevant circumstances. The administrative judge should consider the nine adjudicative process factors listed at AG ¶ 2(d): (1) the nature, extent, and seriousness of the conduct; (2) the circumstances surrounding the conduct, to include knowledgeable participation; (3) the frequency and recency of the conduct; (4) the individual’s age and maturity at the time of the conduct; (5) the extent to which participation is voluntary; (6) the presence or absence of rehabilitation and other permanent behavioral changes; (7) the motivation for the conduct; (8) the potential for pressure, coercion, exploitation, or duress; and (9) the likelihood of continuation or recurrence.

Under AG ¶ 2(c), the ultimate determination of whether to grant eligibility for a security clearance must be an overall commonsense judgment based upon careful consideration of the guidelines and the whole-person concept. I have incorporated my comments under Guidelines H in my whole-person analysis. I also considered Applicant’s favorable character evidence. Overall, the record evidence leaves me without questions or doubts about Applicant’s eligibility and suitability for a security clearance. I conclude Applicant mitigated the security concerns under Guidelines H (drug involvement and substance misuse).

FORMAL FINDINGS

Formal findings for or against Applicant on the allegations set forth in the SOR, as required by section E3.1.25 of Enclosure 3 of the Directive, are:

________________________ Paragraph 1, Guideline H: For Applicant Subparagraph 1.a: For Applicant

CONCLUSION

It is clearly consistent with the national interest to grant Applicant eligibility for a security clearance. Eligibility for access to classified information is granted. Edward W. Loughran Administrative Judge