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Past Pot Smoking Won’t Bar Some Applicants From White House Roles

The Biden administration plans to issue security clearance waivers on a case-by-case basis.

Joe Biden’s administration plans to issue waivers for marijuana use to some applicants to the Executive Office of the President whose jobs require security clearances. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law, and those who have smoked it in the past and acknowledged that use are barred from Top Secret security clearances. The orders from the White House will waive the security clearance requirements for particular jobs, allowing applicants with “limited” past use to fill the roles, though the decisions to issue such waivers will be made only on a case-by-case basis rather than as a blanket allowance. The administration has identified the federal ban on marijuana use as a barrier in its hiring process, particularly with regard to younger candidates.