CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 24-01210 — CASE

DOHA Record Explorer

ISCR Case 24-01210

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/10/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Roger C. Wesley
Government Counsel: William H. Miller
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 25-year-old software engineer employed by a defense contractor, seeking a security clearance. The adjudicative guidelines at issue were related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) alleged that the applicant used THC on two occasions between December 2022 and February 2023 while holding a sensitive position, raising concerns about his reliability and compliance with laws and regulations.
In his response to the SOR, the applicant admitted to the allegations, explaining that his THC use was experimental and expressing a commitment to abstain from such use in the future. He acknowledged the federal ban on marijuana and claimed that his past behavior did not reflect his current capability to handle classified information. However, he did not provide additional evidence or documentation to support his claims of rehabilitation or sustained abstinence.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he did not mitigate the security concerns related to his drug involvement. The judge noted that the applicant's admissions raised significant questions about his judgment and reliability, particularly given that he had been aware of the federal ban on drug use while holding a sensitive position. The judge found that the applicant's limited period of abstinence was insufficient to demonstrate that granting a security clearance would be consistent with national interest.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
Similar decisions
Other decisions whose allegations read most like this one. Descriptive similarity of the allegations only — not a prediction.
Finding similar decisions…

Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01210

deniedFeb 10, 2025· Hon. Roger C. Wesley· hearing

Summary

A 25-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to admitted THC use while in a sensitive position. The Statement of Reasons alleged that the applicant used THC with varying frequency from approximately December 2022 to February 2023, while employed in a sensitive role. This raised disqualifying conditions related to drug involvement and substance abuse.

The denial was based on the applicant's admission of THC use in a sensitive position and the lack of sufficient evidence demonstrating sustained abstinence from drug use. The judge underscored the critical importance of reliability and trustworthiness for individuals holding security clearances, particularly in roles affecting national security.

Ultimately, the judge found that the applicant had not mitigated the security concerns raised by his drug involvement, leading to the denial of his security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to using THC while employed in a sensitive position.
Insufficient evidence of sustained abstinence from drug use was presented.
The judge emphasized the need for reliability and trustworthiness in security clearance decisions.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

DC ¶ 25(a)raisedAny Substance Misuse
DC ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
DC ¶ 25(f)raisedAny Illegal Drug While Granted Access to Classified Information

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 13, 2024
Answer filedAug 15, 2024Requested decision on the written record.
Hearing held—
Decision dateFeb 10, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Sustained Abstinence in Mitigating Drug Use Concerns
Reliability and Trustworthiness Requirements for Security Clearance Applicants

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 applicant admitted to using THC with varying frequency while employed in a sensitive position. The judge found that this drug involvement raised significant security concerns and concluded that the applicant did not mitigate these concerns, resulting in a denial of eligibility for a security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	used THC with varying frequency from about December 2022 to about February 2023 while employed in a sensitive position	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Occasional	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse Claimed Other
1.b	used THC with varying frequency from about December 2022 to about February 2023 while employed in a sensitive position	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Occasional	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Acknowledgment and Remorse Claimed Other

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.