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ISCR Case 25-00229 — CASE

Case record

ISCR Case 25-00229

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

Case Profile
Decision Date1/14/2026
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Judge: Eric H. Borgstrom
Government Counsel: Lauren A. Shure
Case Summary
The applicant in this case was a 36-year-old operations coordinator employed by a Department of Defense contractor. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency issued a Statement of Reasons citing security concerns under Guideline H, which pertains to drug involvement and substance misuse. The core allegations included the applicant's admission to using marijuana since 2010, with her most recent use occurring in January 2024, and her acknowledgment of purchasing marijuana from various sources, including state-licensed dispensaries.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to her drug use history, including daily marijuana use for anxiety and pain management, and occasional use of Adderall without a prescription. She expressed a desire to reduce her marijuana use but did not commit to abstaining. The applicant's testimony highlighted her ongoing exploration of alternative treatments for her symptoms, but she maintained that marijuana was the most effective option for her. Despite her positive work performance and support from colleagues and family, the administrative judge found that the applicant did not sufficiently mitigate the security concerns related to her drug involvement.
The administrative judge ruled against the applicant, concluding that her continued use of marijuana, even for medical purposes, raised significant questions about her reliability and trustworthiness. The judge emphasized that adherence to federal laws regarding controlled substances is critical for maintaining national security, and the applicant's disregard for these laws was a decisive factor in denying her eligibility for access to classified information.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline HDrug Involvement & Substance Misuse · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 25-00229

deniedJan 14, 2026· Hon. Eric H. Borgstrom· hearing

Summary

A 36-year-old operations coordinator for a Department of Defense contractor was denied a security clearance under Guideline H (Drug Involvement). The denial stemmed primarily from her admitted and ongoing marijuana use, which she stated began in 2010 and that she intended to continue for pain and anxiety until an alternative treatment was found. Although her marijuana use complied with state laws, it violated federal drug laws.

Additionally, the applicant had a history of Adderall misuse, which she linked to an abusive relationship that ended around 2017. Disqualifying conditions included admitted drug involvement, illegal drug possession, and a pattern of drug use.

Despite the applicant's claims of medical use for marijuana and mitigating circumstances related to the past abusive relationship, the judge found that her continued drug use violated federal law and raised significant reliability concerns. The applicant's failure to provide a clear commitment to abstain from marijuana use was a key factor in the decision to deny her security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant admitted to frequent marijuana use since 2010 and expressed intent to continue using it.
The applicant's marijuana use violates federal drug laws, despite compliance with state laws.
The applicant did not provide a clear commitment to abstain from marijuana use, which raised concerns about her reliability and trustworthiness.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 25(a)raisedAny Substance Misuse
AG ¶ 25(c)raisedIllegal Possession of a Controlled Substance
AG ¶ 25(g)raisedExpressed Intent to Continue Drug Involvement

Mitigating

AG ¶ 26(a)rejectedBehavior Happened Long Ago or InfrequentlyThe applicant's ongoing marijuana use is recent and frequent.
AG ¶ 26(b)rejectedAcknowledgment of Drug Involvement and Actions Taken to Overcome ItThe applicant did not establish a pattern of abstinence from marijuana.

Key Rule Quoted

“Any doubt concerning personnel being considered for national security eligibility will be resolved in favor of the national security.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedJun 12, 2025
Answer filedJul 2, 2025
Hearing heldDec 8, 2025via video teleconference
Decision dateJan 14, 2026

Cite For

Denial of Security Clearance Due to Ongoing Drug Involvement Under Guideline H
Importance of Compliance with Federal Drug Laws in Security Clearance Determinations
Lack of Commitment to Abstain From Drug Use as a Disqualifying Factor

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: denied

The judge found that the applicant frequently used marijuana since 2010 and intended to continue its use for pain and anxiety, which violated federal drug laws. However, the applicant's misuse of Adderall was linked to an abusive relationship and was mitigated. The overall outcome was a denial of the security clearance due to unresolved drug involvement concerns.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Substance / event	Use level	Response	Disqualifying (¶25)	Mitigating applied (¶26)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant admitted that she has frequently used marijuana since 2010, and she intends to continue to use marijuana to treat her pain and anxiety symptoms until an effective and consistent alternative treatment is discovered.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Regular	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia (g) expressed intent to continue, or failure to commit to discontinue	—	—
1.b	Although she has complied with state laws, her purchase and possession of marijuana violates federal drug laws.	Against Applicant	Marijuana	Not Applicable	Admitted	(a) any substance misuse (c) illegal possession, cultivation, manufacture, purchase, sale, or distribution; or paraphernalia (g) expressed intent to continue, or failure to commit to discontinue	—	—
1.c	Applicant's misuse of Adderall was linked to her abusive relationship with a former partner, with whom she discontinued contact in about 2017.	For Applicant	Prescription Stimulant Misuse	Occasional	Admitted	—	(a) behavior happened long ago / infrequent / unlikely to recur (b) acknowledges involvement; evidence of action; established abstinence	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.