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ISCR Case 24-01602 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01602

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/26/2025
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Darlene Lokey Anderson
Government Counsel: Andrew H. Henderson
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 46-year-old woman employed as a Program Manager by a defense contractor, seeking a security clearance. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing concerns under Guideline H, related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The core allegation was that the applicant had used marijuana, raising questions about her reliability and trustworthiness.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to using THC and marijuana from approximately April 2011 to November 2023, although she characterized her use as infrequent and limited to sharing a "gummie" with her husband once or twice a month. She acknowledged her misunderstanding of the legality of marijuana use under federal law and stated that she ceased all use of marijuana in March 2024, after learning about the federal prohibition. The applicant provided letters of recommendation that highlighted her strong work ethic and integrity, and she expressed her commitment to comply with all relevant laws and company policies moving forward.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that her past marijuana use was infrequent and that she had taken appropriate steps to ensure compliance with federal law and company policies. The judge found that the applicant demonstrated good judgment by quitting marijuana use and showed the requisite character and maturity to be entrusted with a security clearance.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · For Applicant
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01602

grantedFeb 26, 2025· Hon. Darlene Lokey Anderson· hearing

Summary

A 46-year-old defense contractor was granted a security clearance despite allegations of drug involvement under Guideline H. The government raised concerns regarding her reliability and trustworthiness due to infrequent marijuana use from 2011 to 2023, citing Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(c).

However, the applicant's case was mitigated by several factors, applying Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 26(a) and AG ¶ 26(b). She openly acknowledged her past marijuana use and demonstrated a clear understanding of federal laws prohibiting it. Crucially, she provided evidence of her commitment to future abstinence from illegal drugs and compliance with her company's drug policy.

Furthermore, letters of recommendation supported her application, highlighting her strong work ethic, integrity, and trustworthiness. Based on these mitigating factors and her demonstrated understanding and commitment, the security clearance was granted.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant acknowledged her past marijuana use and demonstrated a clear understanding of federal laws prohibiting such use.
She provided evidence of her commitment to abstain from illegal drug use in the future and compliance with her company's drug policy.
Letters of recommendation highlighted her strong work ethic, integrity, and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedInfrequent Use Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 26(b)appliedAcknowledgment and Actions Taken to Overcome Drug Involvement

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedSep 25, 2024
Answer filedOct 12, 2024
Hearing heldFeb 11, 2025
Decision dateFeb 26, 2025

Cite For

Mitigation of Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Compliance with Federal Law Regarding Drug Use
Whole-person Concept in Security Clearance Evaluations

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 used marijuana once in 2011 and then regularly from 2019 until March 2024. However, the judge concluded that the Applicant has mitigated the concerns regarding drug involvement, resulting in a decision to grant the security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	The Government alleges that the Applicant has used an illegal drug, which raises questions about her ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations and raises questions about her reliability and trustworthiness.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	—	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur	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.