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ISCR Case 25-00020 — CASE

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ISCR Case 25-00020

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

Case Profile
Decision Date2/5/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Richard A. Cefola
Government Counsel: William H. Miller
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 38-year-old employee of a defense contractor, applying for a security clearance for the first time. The Department of Defense issued a Statement of Reasons (SOR) citing security concerns under Guideline H, which pertains to drug involvement and substance misuse. The core allegations included the applicant's long-term use of marijuana, which she admitted had occurred from approximately August 2005 until at least July 2024, and her expressed intent to continue using marijuana in the future.
The applicant acknowledged her marijuana use and provided details about her changing patterns of consumption, including a shift from smoking to using THC gummies for medical purposes. However, she did not present any evidence of rehabilitation or a commitment to abstain from drug use, which are necessary for mitigating the concerns raised. The administrative judge found that the applicant's admissions and lack of mitigating evidence left significant doubts regarding her reliability and trustworthiness.
Ultimately, the administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that she did not mitigate the security concerns under Guideline H. The decision emphasized that granting her eligibility for a security clearance was not consistent with the national interest, leading to a denial of her application for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00020

deniedFeb 5, 2026· Hon. Richard A. Cefola· hearing

Summary

A 38-year-old defense contractor employee was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement) due to unresolved concerns regarding her admitted long-term marijuana use and stated intent to continue. The applicant acknowledged using marijuana with varying frequency from approximately August 2005 until at least July 2024, a period spanning about 20 years. This admission was made across multiple official documents, including her Security Clearance Application, Personal Subject Interview, response to Interrogatories, and her Answer.

The primary disqualifying conditions raised were AG ¶ 25(a) and AG ¶ 25(g). The denial stemmed from the applicant's admission of two decades of marijuana use and her explicit intent to continue. She did not present any evidence of actions taken to overcome drug involvement or establish a pattern of abstinence.

Ultimately, none of the potential mitigating conditions were deemed sufficient to address the concerns about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness. Therefore, granting a security clearance was determined to be inconsistent with national interest.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

Applicant admitted to using marijuana for approximately 20 years and expressed intent to continue its use.
The applicant did not provide evidence of actions taken to overcome drug involvement or establish a pattern of abstinence.
None of the mitigating conditions were sufficiently applicable to overcome concerns about the applicant's reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

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

Key Rule Quoted

“Eligibility for access to classified information is denied.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedFeb 3, 2025
Answer filedFeb 13, 2025Requested decision based on written record.
Hearing held—Decision made without a hearing.
Decision dateFeb 5, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Long-term Drug Use Under Guideline H
Importance of Compliance with Federal Drug Laws in Security Clearance Determinations
Failure to Mitigate Drug Involvement Concerns Despite Acknowledgment of Use

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 marijuana with varying frequency for approximately 20 years, from August 2005 until at least July 2024. The judge found that the applicant's ongoing intent to use marijuana and the duration of use raised significant concerns about reliability and trustworthiness, leading to a denial of eligibility for a security clearance.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant admitted to using marijuana with varying frequency from about August 2005 until at least July of 2024, a period of about 20 years.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (g) expressed intent to continue, or failure to commit to discontinue	—	—
1.b	Applicant admitted on her Security Clearance Application, Personal Subject Interview, her response to Interrogatories, and in her Answer that she intends to continue to use marijuana in the future.	Against Applicant	Stated Intent to Use Again	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (g) expressed intent to continue, or failure to commit to discontinue	—	—

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.