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ISCR Case 24-01718 — CASE

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ISCR Case 24-01718

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/20/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Related decisionSee the appeal decision (Case 24-01718) →
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Robert E. Coacher
Government Counsel: Aubrey M. De Angelis
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 31-year-old software engineer who sought a security clearance but faced allegations under Guideline H, concerning drug involvement and substance misuse. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing the applicant's marijuana use from July 2017 to September 2024 and his expressed intent to continue using marijuana in the future, despite being aware that such use violated federal law.
The applicant admitted to using marijuana with varying frequency during the specified period and acknowledged that he intended to continue its use until he received clearance. He claimed to have stopped using marijuana while holding a previous position of trust in 2018 but resumed after leaving that position. In his defense, he argued that he could abstain from marijuana use again, citing increased maturity. However, he did not provide a signed statement committing to abstain from drug use in the future.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that he failed to mitigate the security concerns related to his drug involvement. The judge noted the recency of the applicant's marijuana use, his lack of a clear commitment to discontinue it, and the doubts raised about his reliability and trustworthiness. Consequently, the applicant's eligibility for a security clearance was denied.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-01718

deniedFeb 20, 2025· Hon. Robert E. Coacher· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old software engineer was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to ongoing marijuana use and an expressed intent to continue. The applicant admitted to using marijuana, with varying frequency, from July 2017 to September 2024. This history, coupled with the stated intention to continue use, raised significant concerns regarding reliability and trustworthiness.

Disqualifying conditions cited included the applicant's pattern of drug involvement and the expressed intent to continue such involvement. While mitigating conditions were considered, the judge ultimately found them insufficient. The applicant's failure to provide a signed statement of intent to abstain from future drug involvement further contributed to the unfavorable decision.

The denial was based on the applicant's admitted marijuana use spanning over seven years and a clear lack of commitment to abstain from drug use in the future. These factors led to the conclusion that the applicant did not meet the standards for reliability and trustworthiness required for a security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to using marijuana from July 2017 to September 2024, which raised reliability and trustworthiness issues.
The applicant expressed intent to continue using marijuana, indicating a lack of commitment to abstain from drug use.
The applicant failed to provide a signed statement of intent to abstain from drug involvement in the future.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedAny Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(g)raisedExpressed Intent to Continue Drug Involvement

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Unlikely to RecurThe applicant's recent marijuana use and intent to continue using it cast doubt on reliability.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Drug InvolvementThe applicant did not provide evidence of actions taken to overcome drug misuse.

Key Rule Quoted

“The illegal use of controlled substances... can raise questions about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedSep 26, 2024
Answer filedOct 4, 2024Applicant elected to have the case decided on the written record.
Hearing held—Decision made based on written record.
Decision dateFeb 20, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Ongoing Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Commitment to Abstain From Drug Use for Security Clearance Eligibility
Evaluation of Reliability and Trustworthiness in Light of Substance Misuse History.

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 marijuana use and intent to continue using marijuana. The applicant admitted to using marijuana with varying frequency from July 2017 to September 2024 and expressed an intention to continue its use, which raised concerns about his reliability and judgment.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana, with varying frequency, from July 2017 to about September 2024.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Frequent	Admitted	—	—	Claimed Other
1.b	Applicant intended to continue to use marijuana in the future.	Against Applicant	Stated Intent to Use Again	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	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.