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ISCR Case 22-00741 — CASE

ISCR Case 22-00741denied

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 22-00741

deniedJan 12, 2023· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 26-year-old defense contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to admitted substance use. The Statement of Reasons detailed the applicant's use of marijuana, LSD, and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Specifically, the applicant used marijuana approximately once a month from October 2014 to September 2015, then 4-5 times a week from September 2015 to May 2016, and 0-3 times a week from May 2016 to May 2021.

Additionally, the applicant used LSD four times between September 2019 and February 2021, and hallucinogenic mushrooms once in April 2021. These allegations raised disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 25(a) and 25(c).

The denial was based on the applicant's admitted drug use, which continued after he began his employment with a defense contractor. Despite presenting evidence of negative drug tests, the administrative judge determined that the applicant did not sufficiently demonstrate a pattern of abstinence or significant rehabilitation efforts to mitigate the security concerns.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to multiple instances of drug use, including marijuana, LSD, and hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The applicant's drug use continued after he began his employment with a defense contractor.
The applicant failed to demonstrate a pattern of abstinence or significant rehabilitation efforts.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)appliedSubstance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMay 10, 2022
Answer filedMay 11, 2022Applicant requested a decision on the record without a hearing.
Hearing held—Applicant resubmitted his Answer on July 28, 2022.
Decision dateJan 12, 2023

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Ongoing Drug Involvement
Failure to Mitigate Substance Misuse Concerns Under Guideline H
Importance of Demonstrating a Pattern of Abstinence for Security Clearance Eligibility

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: Decision on RecordDecided: denied

The judge found that the applicant had a history of marijuana use, escalating to 4-5 times a week, and also used LSD and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The applicant's substance use continued after beginning employment, leading to a denial of security clearance eligibility.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana, about once a month from '10/2014 – 9/2015 . . . 4-5 times a week [from] 9/2015 – 5/2016 [and] 0-3 times a week [from] 5/2016 – 5/2021.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Regular	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.b	Applicant used LSD four times during the period '9/2019 [to] 2/2021.'	Against Applicant	LSDWHILE CLEARED	Occasional	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—
1.c	Applicant used hallucinogenic mushrooms once in April of 2021.	Against Applicant	PsilocybinWHILE CLEARED	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	—	—

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. 22-00741 ) ) Applicant for Security Clearance ) Appearances For Government: Alison O’Connell, Esquire, Department Counsel For Applicant: Pro se January 12, 2023

STATEMENT OF CASE

CEFOLA, Richard A., Administrative Judge: On June 1, 2021, Applicant submitted his Electronic Questionnaire for Investigations Processing (e-QIP). (Item 4.) On May 10, 2022, the Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DODCAF) issued Applicant a Statement of Reasons (SOR) detailing security concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse). (Item 1.) The action was taken under Executive Order 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry (February 20, 1960), as amended; Department of Defense Directive 5220.6, Defense Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Review Program (January 2, 1992), as amended (Directive); and the Adjudicative Guidelines, effective on June 8, 2017. Applicant acknowledged receipt of the SOR on June 29, 2022. Applicant answered the SOR (Answer) on May 11, 2022 (Item 3), and requested a decision on the record without a hearing. Department Counsel submitted the Government’s written case on June 14, 2022. A complete copy of the file of relevant material (FORM) was sent to Applicant, including documents identified as Items 1 through 5. He was given an opportunity to file objections and submit material to refute, extenuate, or mitigate the

Government’s evidence. On July 28, 2022, Applicant simply resubmitted his Answer to the SOR. The case was assigned to me on October 3, 2022.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In his Answer to the SOR Applicant admitted all the factual allegations of the SOR, with explanations He also provided additional information to support his request for eligibility for a security clearance, specifically two July 2022 negative drug tests. Applicant is 26 years old, unmarried, and has no children. He has worked for a defense contractor since March of 2021. (Item 3 at pages 7, 17 and 29.) Guideline H: Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse 1.a. Applicant used marijuana, about once a month from “10/2014 – 9/2015 . . . 4-5 times a week [from] 9/2015 – 5/2016 [and] 0-3 times a week [from] 5/2016 – 5/2021.” (Item 5 at page 9.) 1.b. Applicant used LSD four times during the period “9/2019 [to] 2/2021.” (Item 5 at page 9.) 1.c. Applicant used hallucinogenic mushrooms once in April of 2021. (Item 5 at page 9.)

POLICIES

When evaluating an applicant’s suitability for national security eligibility, the administrative judge must consider the adjudicative guidelines. In addition to brief introductory explanations for each guideline, the adjudicative guidelines (AG) list potentially disqualifying conditions and mitigating conditions, which are to be used in evaluating an applicant’s national security eligibility. These guidelines are not inflexible rules of law. Instead, recognizing the complexities of human behavior, these guidelines are applied in conjunction with the factors listed in AG ¶ 2 describing the adjudicative process. The administrative judge’s overarching adjudicative goal is a fair, impartial, and commonsense decision. The entire process is a conscientious scrutiny of applicable guidelines in the context 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.” In reaching this decision, I have drawn only those conclusions that are reasonable, logical, and based on the

evidence contained in the record. I have not drawn inferences based on mere speculation or conjecture. Directive ¶ E3.1.14, requires the Government to present evidence to establish controverted facts alleged in the SOR. Under Directive ¶ E3.1.15, an “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, and has the ultimate burden of persuasion as to obtaining a favorable clearance decision.” A person applying for national security eligibility seeks to enter 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 national security eligibility. Decisions include, by necessity, consideration of the possible risk the applicant may deliberately or inadvertently fail to protect or safeguard classified information. Such decisions entail a certain degree of legally permissible extrapolation as to potential, rather than actual, risk of compromise of classified or sensitive information. Finally, as emphasized in Section 7 of Executive Order 10865, “[a]ny determination under this order adverse to an applicant shall be a determination in terms of the national interest and shall in no sense be a determination as to the loyalty of the applicant concerned.” See also Executive Order 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 relating to the guideline for Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse is set forth at 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 at AG ¶ 25 contains seven conditions that could raise a security concern and may be disqualifying. Two conditions are established: (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. Appellant smoked marijuana over a period of seven years, ending in May of 2021, after he began his current employment in March of 2021. He also used hallucinogenic mushrooms in April of 2021, and LSD as recently as February 2021. Therefore, AG ¶ 25 (a) and (c) are established. The guideline at AG ¶ 26 contains four conditions that could mitigate security concerns. Two conditions may be 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. None of these applies. His frequent use of marijuana continued after he began his current employment. In his Answer he disavowals future usage, but it is too soon to say his past substance misuse is not of current security clearance significance. However, in the future, after a period of time of continued abstinence, he may successfully reapply for a security clearance. Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse is found against Applicant.

WHOLE PERSON CONCEPT

Under the whole-person concept, the administrative judge must evaluate an applicant’s national security eligibility 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. According to AG ¶ 2(c), the ultimate determination of whether to grant national security eligibility must be an overall commonsense judgment based upon careful consideration of the applicable guidelines and the whole-person concept. Overall, the record evidence leaves me with questions and doubts as to Applicant’s eligibility and suitability for a security clearance. For all these reasons, I conclude Applicant failed to mitigate the security concerns arising from his drug involvement and substance abuse.

FORMAL FINDINGS

Formal findings for or against Applicant on the allegations set forth in the SOR, as required by ¶ E3.1.25 of Enclosure 3 of the Directive, are: Paragraph 1, Guideline H: AGAINST APPLICANT Subparagraphs 1.a.~ 1.c.: Against Applicant

CONCLUSION

In light of all of the circumstances presented by the record in this case, it is not clearly consistent with the national interest to grant Applicant national security eligibility for a security clearance. Eligibility for access to classified information is denied. Richard A. Cefola Administrative Judge