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ISCR Case 24-00132 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-00132

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date2/19/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: LeRoy F. Foreman
Government Counsel: Cassie L. Ford
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 29-year-old energy auditor who sought a security clearance for employment with a defense contractor. The Department of Defense raised security concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse) due to the applicant's history of marijuana use, which he admitted occurred frequently from 2013 until 2023, with a positive drug test in early 2023. The Statement of Reasons outlined these concerns, emphasizing the applicant's continued use of marijuana even after being informed of the implications for his security clearance.
During the proceedings, the applicant acknowledged his past drug use but claimed to have stopped in April 2023. However, he later admitted to using marijuana again in early 2024, after submitting his security clearance application. He cited a troubled upbringing and self-medicated his anxiety with marijuana, but did not provide documentation of any treatment for substance misuse. The administrative judge found that the applicant's recent and frequent drug use did not support a finding of rehabilitation or a commitment to abstain from drug use in the future.
The administrative judge ultimately denied the security clearance, concluding that the applicant's behavior raised significant concerns about his reliability and trustworthiness. The judge noted that the applicant's admissions and lack of evidence demonstrating a commitment to abstain from drug use indicated that he did not meet the necessary standards for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00132

deniedFeb 19, 2025· Hon. LeRoy F. Foreman· hearing

Summary

A 29-year-old energy auditor was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to admitted frequent marijuana use and positive drug tests. The Statement of Reasons specifically cited his consistent marijuana use and positive drug screens, raising disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 25(a) and 25(c).

Despite the applicant's claims of ceasing use and efforts to address the concerns, the judge found these insufficient. The decision highlighted that the applicant continued marijuana use even after being informed it was incompatible with security clearance eligibility.

Ultimately, the judge determined there was insufficient evidence of rehabilitation or a favorable prognosis regarding his drug use, leading to the denial of his security clearance. Mitigating conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines Paragraphs 26(a), 26(b), and 26(d) were considered but did not overcome the security concerns.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to frequent marijuana use and tested positive for drugs.
He continued to use marijuana after being informed of its incompatibility with security clearance eligibility.
The applicant did not provide sufficient evidence of rehabilitation or a favorable prognosis regarding his drug use.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's marijuana use was recent and frequent.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement and Evidence of Actions Taken to Overcome ItThe applicant's post-hearing statement was aspirational but lacked an unconditional promise to abstain.
AG ¶ 26(d)rejectedCompletion of a Drug Treatment ProgramThe applicant provided no evidence of treatment for drug abuse.

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for a security clearance is predicated upon the applicant meeting the criteria contained in the adjudicative guidelines.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedMar 11, 2024
Answer filedMar 17, 2024
Hearing heldJan 15, 2025conducted via video teleconference
Decision dateFeb 19, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Recent and Frequent Drug Use Under Guideline H
Insufficient Evidence of Rehabilitation and Trustworthiness in Drug Involvement Cases
The Importance of Unconditional Promises in Mitigating Drug Involvement Concerns

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: denied

The judge found that the applicant frequently used marijuana and tested positive for drug involvement. Despite the applicant's admissions and claims of seeking help for anxiety, the judge concluded that the evidence did not support a favorable outcome, resulting in a denial of the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1	Applicant used marijuana frequently and tested positive for drug involvement.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Regular	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.