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ISCR Case 24-00904 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-00904

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

Case Profile
Decision Date9/10/2025
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Judge: LeRoy F. Foreman
Government Counsel: Cynthia Ruckno
Case Summary
the context of security clearance evaluations, the use of marijuana remains a significant concern due to its federal illegality, despite state-level legalization.
The applicant in this case was a 46-year-old employee of a defense contractor who had a history of drug involvement and criminal behavior, specifically under Guideline H (Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse). The Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleged that he had used illegal drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, and had a criminal record involving multiple burglary and larceny charges. The applicant admitted to the allegations in the SOR, explaining that he had used cocaine until 1997 and marijuana until 2025, primarily to manage his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stemming from childhood trauma and other life events.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, granting him a security clearance. The judge found that the applicant had taken significant steps to mitigate his past drug use, including ceasing marijuana use, obtaining a prescription for alternative medication, and demonstrating a commitment to his job and responsibilities. The judge noted the applicant's positive work history, support from colleagues, and his willingness to refrain from further drug use, which contributed to the conclusion that granting the clearance was consistent with the national interest.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · For Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-00904

grantedSep 10, 2025· Hon. LeRoy F. Foreman· hearing

Summary

A 46-year-old defense contractor was granted a security clearance despite initial concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The Statement of Reasons alleged illegal drug use and substance misuse, including possession of marijuana and cocaine, use of marijuana for PTSD treatment, and past criminal charges related to drug use. These allegations raised disqualifying conditions AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(c).

However, the judge found that the applicant successfully mitigated these security concerns. The applicant demonstrated significant rehabilitation and a substantial change in lifestyle following his past drug use. He provided a signed statement affirming his intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse.

Further supporting the decision, the applicant's current employment and positive testimonials from supervisors underscored his reliability and trustworthiness. Based on this evidence of rehabilitation and commitment to abstinence, mitigating conditions AG ¶ 26(a) and AG ¶ 26(b) were applied, leading to the decision to grant the security clearance.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated significant rehabilitation and a change in lifestyle after past drug use.
He provided a signed statement of intent to abstain from all drug involvement and substance misuse.
The applicant's current employment and positive testimonials from supervisors supported his reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedBehavior Happened Long Ago or Infrequently
AG ¶ 26(b)appliedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement and Established Pattern of Abstinence

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJan 2, 2025
Answer filedJan 9, 2025
Hearing heldAug 14, 2025conducted by video teleconference
Decision dateSep 10, 2025

Cite For

Mitigation of Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Changes in Security Clearance Cases
Whole-person Analysis in Adjudicating 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: HearingDecided: granted

The judge found that the applicant had a history of illegal drug use, including marijuana and cocaine, but determined that the applicant's past behavior was mitigated by the passage of time and the applicant's current abstinence from illegal substances. The decision to grant eligibility for access to classified information was based on the applicant's demonstrated commitment to overcoming past substance misuse and maintaining a reliable and trustworthy character.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Illegal drug use and substance misuse.	For Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	—
1.b	Possession of marijuana and cocaine.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Unspecified	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	—
1.c	Use of marijuana for PTSD treatment.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Unspecified	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	—
1.d	Past criminal charges related to drug use.	For Applicant	Unspecified Drug Involvement	Unspecified	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	—

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.