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ISCR Case 24-02227 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 24-02227

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

Case Profile
Decision Date12/29/2025
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Benjamin R. Dorsey
Government Counsel: Mark D. Lawton
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 31-year-old employee of a government contractor who had been working there since December 2018. The Department of Defense (DOD) issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline H, related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The core allegation was that the applicant used marijuana with varying frequency from May 2016 to September 2024, including during her employment in a sensitive position. The applicant admitted to this allegation in her response to the SOR.
Key facts established included the applicant's admission of marijuana use in 2016 and again on September 1, 2024, which she claimed was for pain relief related to a stomach ulcer. She acknowledged that she was aware of the illegality of marijuana use under federal law and had violated her employer's drug-free workplace policy. Despite her claims of no future intent to use marijuana, she continued to associate with her husband, who used marijuana. The administrative judge found that the applicant did not provide sufficient evidence to mitigate the security concerns, particularly given the recency of her last use and her ongoing association with a marijuana user.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that she did not mitigate the drug involvement and substance misuse security concerns. The judge emphasized that the applicant's behavior raised questions about her reliability and trustworthiness, and the overall evidence did not support a favorable determination for security clearance eligibility.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 24-02227

deniedDec 29, 2025· Hon. Benjamin R. Dorsey· hearing

Summary

A 31-year-old government contractor employee was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to admitted marijuana use and a lack of demonstrated abstinence. The applicant acknowledged using marijuana with varying frequency between May 2016 and September 2024, including while employed in a sensitive position.

The denial was based on several factors. The applicant's admission of marijuana use while in a sensitive role, coupled with her last reported use in September 2024, raised significant concerns regarding her reliability and trustworthiness. Disqualifying conditions under Adjudicative Guidelines paragraphs 25(a), 25(c), and 25(f) were cited.

Ultimately, the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence of actions taken to overcome her substance misuse problem or establish a consistent pattern of abstinence. This led to the unfavorable decision, as the adjudicator determined the applicant did not meet the necessary standards for a security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to marijuana use while employed in a sensitive position.
The applicant's last marijuana use occurred in September 2024, raising concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.
The applicant did not provide evidence of actions taken to overcome her substance misuse problem or establish a pattern of abstinence.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)appliedAny Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)appliedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
AG ¶ 25(f)appliedIllegal Drug Use While Granted Access to Classified Information

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 20, 2025
Answer filedMar 21, 2025Requested decision based on written record.
Hearing held—Decision based on written record.
Decision dateDec 29, 2025

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Failure to Establish a Pattern of Abstinence From Substance Misuse
Impact of Illegal Drug Use on Reliability and Trustworthiness 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 that the applicant used marijuana with varying frequency between May 2016 and September 2024, including while employed in a sensitive position. The applicant's marijuana use was not mitigated, leading to a denial of her security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana with varying frequency between May 2016 and September 2024, including while employed in a sensitive position.	Against Applicant	MarijuanaWHILE CLEARED	Frequent	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (b) testing positive for an illegal drug (f) any illegal drug use while holding a clearance or sensitive position	—	—

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.