CASE · Clearance Adjudication Search EngineCASE

Loading case…

ISCR Case 24-01294 — CASE

DOHA Record Explorer

ISCR Case 24-01294

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

Case Profile
Decision Date3/6/2026
Statusgranted
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Judge: Candace Le'i Garcia
Government Counsel: Troy L. Nussbaum
Applicant's Counsel: Matthew J. Thomas
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 37-year-old individual seeking a security clearance, facing allegations under Guideline H concerning drug involvement and substance misuse. The Statement of Reasons (SOR) outlined concerns related to the applicant's past use and purchase of marijuana, as well as the use of other illegal substances, including hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, and cocaine. The applicant admitted to all allegations in the SOR, detailing a history of marijuana use from 2007 to November 2023, and acknowledged his understanding of the legal implications surrounding drug use in relation to security clearance eligibility.
During the hearing, the applicant provided evidence of his efforts to mitigate the concerns raised, including a signed statement of intent to abstain from illegal drug use, completion of a drug and alcohol course, and voluntary drug testing, all of which returned negative results. He also demonstrated a commitment to maintaining a drug-free environment for his family and expressed a desire to be a positive role model for his children. Witnesses attested to his reliability and character, further supporting his case.
The administrative judge ruled in favor of the applicant, concluding that he had successfully mitigated the security concerns related to drug involvement and substance misuse. The judge noted the applicant's acknowledgment of his past behavior, his proactive steps to ensure abstinence, and the positive testimonials from colleagues, which collectively indicated a low likelihood of recurrence and a restoration of trustworthiness. Consequently, the applicant was granted eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · For 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. 24-01294

grantedMar 6, 2026· Hon. Candace Le'i Garcia· hearing

Summary

A 37-year-old DOD contractor was granted a security clearance despite concerns under Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The Statement of Reasons detailed the applicant's past drug use, including marijuana from March 2007 to November 2023, and purchases of marijuana from August 2007 to August 2019. Additionally, the applicant used cocaine in May 2011, hallucinogenic mushrooms from May 2008 to May 2010, and LSD in May 2009. These allegations raised Disqualifying Conditions AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(c).

However, the administrative judge applied Mitigating Conditions AG ¶ 26(a), AG ¶ 26(b), AG ¶ 26(b)(1), AG ¶ 26(b)(2), and AG ¶ 26(b)(3). The applicant acknowledged his past drug use and demonstrated a commitment to abstain from illegal substances. This commitment was supported by credible character references and evidence of rehabilitation, including a signed statement of intent to abstain.

The applicant's last reported use of marijuana was in November 2023, and he has not used illegal drugs since. Based on the demonstrated commitment to abstinence and evidence of rehabilitation, the administrative judge found that the applicant mitigated the security concerns, resulting in a GRANTED security clearance.

Why the Applicant Prevailed

The applicant demonstrated a commitment to abstain from illegal substances after acknowledging his past drug use.
He provided credible character references and evidence of rehabilitation, including a signed statement of intent to abstain from drug use.
The applicant's last use of marijuana occurred in November 2023, and he has not used illegal drugs since.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)appliedBehavior Unlikely to Recur
AG ¶ 26(b)appliedAcknowledgment and Actions Taken to Overcome Drug Involvement
AG ¶ 26(b)(1)appliedDisassociation From Drug-using Associates
AG ¶ 26(b)(2)appliedChanging Environment Where Drugs Were Used
AG ¶ 26(b)(3)appliedSigned Statement of Intent to Abstain

Key Rule Quoted

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

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedAug 15, 2024
Answer filedSep 12, 2024
Hearing heldMay 27, 2025Hearing convened as scheduled.
Decision dateMar 6, 2026Decision delayed due to federal government shutdown.

Cite For

Mitigation of Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Credible Character References in Security Clearance Cases
Whole-person Concept in Evaluating 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 used marijuana, cocaine, and hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybin) at various times, but ultimately ruled in favor of the applicant on all allegations. The applicant demonstrated candor regarding his drug use and has taken steps to mitigate concerns by disassociating from individuals who use illegal drugs and expressing a commitment to abstain from future use.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant used marijuana with varying frequency from March 2007 to November 2023.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Unspecified	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant purchased marijuana from August 2007 to August 2019.	For Applicant	Marijuana	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.c	Applicant used cocaine in about May 2011.	For Applicant	Cocaine	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.d	Applicant used hallucinogenic mushrooms (psilocybin) from about May 2008 to May 2010.	For Applicant	Psilocybin	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—
1.e	Applicant used LSD in about May 2009.	For Applicant	LSD	Not Applicable	Admitted	—	—	—

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.