Drug Use and Security Clearances

Drug use can raise questions about an individual's reliability and trustworthiness, both because it may impair judgment and because it raises questions about a person's ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.
Drug abuse also raises concerns about an individual's susceptibility to blackmail and the possible presence of mental health issues.
Drug use can cause financial problems, sometimes leading to other criminal activity to support a drug habit.
Read more at www.clearancejo...

[@StellarBlue1]

retired from the Department of Defense after 38 years of service. I was cleared to Top Secret for most of my service life. That being said, I have to admit, that I did have some personal problems in those years. I was arrested for possession of a controlled substance prescription that was not mine and I received a citation for marijuana (less than one ounce) as well. I attended diversion programs and thus had no convictions whatsoever on my record. I credit my longevity with the Government due to the fact that I never lied about anything on my applications. That boils down to the HRF: Human Reliability Factor. Had I lied and been caught at it, my career would have been over. Also, I had a clean financial record. Bottom line is the Feds are lenient...if you are honest to a fault.

[@DevilFrog61]

Great. Thanks for this comment, and your service!

[@jordanvelazquex6653]

So say if I used drugs when I was younger and I admit to it will they fail me right away?

[@K-TRAIN_MUSIC]

they wont *say* you will.

[@jchogke]

Hi, What exactly is security clearance, and what does one get or do after getting a clearance ?