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ISCR Case 24-00743 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-00743

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

Case Profile
Decision Date8/20/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Roger C. Wesley
Government Counsel: Daniel O'Reilly
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 30-year-old employee of a defense contractor seeking a security clearance. The adjudicative guidelines at issue were related to drug involvement and substance abuse. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlined several allegations, including the use and purchase of marijuana, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and unprescribed Adderall over a period from 2016 to 2023.
The applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR, providing explanations for her drug use. She indicated that her marijuana use began in 2016 and included periods of frequent use, but she sought therapy in 2019 to address underlying issues and reduced her usage. She claimed to have legally purchased marijuana in 2022 for pain relief and stated that she ceased all drug use in July 2023. Regarding mushrooms, she acknowledged limited use and expressed regret over a one-time purchase from a stranger. She also admitted to using unprescribed Adderall, recognizing it as irresponsible behavior.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that she did not sufficiently mitigate the concerns regarding her drug involvement and substance abuse. The judge emphasized the seriousness of the applicant's conduct, the frequency of her drug use, and the potential implications for her reliability and trustworthiness in handling classified information. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for access to classified information was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00743

deniedAug 20, 2025· Hon. Roger C. Wesley· hearing

Summary

A 30-year-old defense contractor employee was denied security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to a history of substance abuse. The applicant admitted to using and purchasing marijuana from October 2016 to July 2023, and using mushrooms from May 2021 to August 2023, including one purchase from a stranger in January 2023. Additionally, she used unprescribed Adderall from May 2016 to November 2021, purchasing it from a friend in May 2021.

The Statement of Reasons cited these activities, specifically referencing Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(c). While Mitigating Condition AG ¶ 26(a) was considered, it was not sufficient to overcome the security concerns.

The denial was based on the applicant's prolonged history of illegal drug use and the judge's finding of insufficient evidence of rehabilitation or a sustained commitment to abstinence. The applicant's assertions of reduced use and therapy were not deemed credible enough to mitigate the identified security risks, leading to the denial of eligibility for access to classified information.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant had a history of illegal drug use, including marijuana and mushrooms, over several years.
The judge found insufficient evidence of rehabilitation or a long-term commitment to abstinence from illegal substances.
The applicant's claims of reduced use and therapy were not deemed credible enough to mitigate security concerns.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedInfrequent Use of Unprescribed MedicationThe judge found limited mitigating circumstances for the applicant's infrequent use of unprescribed Adderall.

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for access to classified information may only be granted "upon a finding that it is clearly consistent with the national interest to do so."”
— Exec. Or. 10865, Safeguarding Classified Information within Industry § 2 (Feb. 20, 1960)

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 27, 2024
Answer filedSep 16, 2024Applicant elected to proceed without a hearing.
Hearing held—Case decided on the written record.
Decision dateAug 20, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Insufficient Evidence of Rehabilitation in Substance Abuse Cases
Consideration of the Whole Person in Security Clearance Determinations

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 against the applicant on allegations of drug involvement, specifically regarding the use and purchase of marijuana and mushrooms. However, the judge found for the applicant on the allegations related to the use and purchase of unprescribed Adderall, acknowledging some mitigating factors but ultimately denying eligibility for access to classified information.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	used and purchased marijuana with varying frequency from October 2016 to July 2023	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Frequent	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	used mushrooms with varying frequency from May 2021 to August 2023	Against Applicant	Psilocybin	Frequent	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	purchased mushrooms from a stranger in about January 2023	Against Applicant	Drug Distribution or Dealing	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	used unprescribed medication Adderall from May 2016 to November 2021	For Applicant	Prescription Stimulant Misuse	Frequent	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse
1.e	purchased Adderall from a friend in May 2021	For Applicant	Prescription Stimulant Misuse	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse

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.