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Author Topic: Question about Security Clearance, etc.  (Read 7401 times)

x2yzh9

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Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« on: April 08, 2011, 09:52:50 pm »

Since this is more of a question than asking for advice, I posted it here in General Discussion.

Will someone lose their security clearance if someone in their residence smokes weed? Secondly, Will say, a parent, go to jail if their child is caught smoking weed? I'm having a debate with someone about this right now and I'm thinking no to both of these, but I'm just posting here to make sure.

yaklin

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #1 on: April 08, 2011, 11:52:39 pm »

Not sure if its the exact same, but I know my dad, who works at the nuclear power plant, will get in trouble with the plant if I were to use illegal substances.
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Bauglir

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2011, 12:23:36 am »

It is probably dependent on what sort of security clearance you have, and from whom.
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sluissa

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2011, 12:33:38 am »

Yet another can't say for sure in this specific case, but security clearance can be denied simply based upon what members of a person's family, friends, or even neighbors happen to do, or be like, or any records, criminal or otherwise bad they might have. Depending upon the level of clearance it's somewhat common for friends and/or family to be interviewed and have a background check done on them.
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Criptfeind

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2011, 12:35:27 am »

So don't smoke pot where people can see you x2yzh9. Also, make sure you get the good stuff that is not cut with poison.
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RedKing

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2011, 07:13:27 am »

It is probably dependent on what sort of security clearance you have, and from whom.
This.

If it's a clearance from DEA, you can kiss that puppy goodbye.
Most of the other agencies have a somewhat more flexible view.

As for the second hypothetical, no. Not unless the parent was actively assisting in procuring the weed. In some cases, they might be prosecuted if they knew about it and didn't do anything, but it would be under a lesser charge such as "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" or "endangerment of child welfare". Although it'd be up to how well the individual prosecutor could make their case as to whether it would stick or not.

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Dutchling

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2011, 02:33:58 pm »

Is smoking weed seriously illegal where you live? I can understand cocaine/heroine/etc is illegal but weed?
I don't use weed myself nor do I smoke for that matter but going to jail for smoking weed seems ridiculous to me.

But I live in a country where cities want to grow their own weed so their citizens won't get any of the bad stuff...
(and yes that is actually true)
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x2yzh9

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2011, 06:21:10 pm »

Is smoking weed seriously illegal where you live? I can understand cocaine/heroine/etc is illegal but weed?
I don't use weed myself nor do I smoke for that matter but going to jail for smoking weed seems ridiculous to me.

But I live in a country where cities want to grow their own weed so their citizens won't get any of the bad stuff...
(and yes that is actually true)
Sadly, it's illegal in most parts of the world. Very stupid, I know. It's mostly due to the fact that vast parts of America and the world in general are uneducated and when faced with something everybody else thinks is wrong they think they should think it's wrong-Once you do the research, you see that it's got almost no negative benefits, aside from the fact that it inebriates you to the point that you couldn't/shouldn't drive.

Virex

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2011, 06:29:56 pm »

Is smoking weed seriously illegal where you live? I can understand cocaine/heroine/etc is illegal but weed?
I don't use weed myself nor do I smoke for that matter but going to jail for smoking weed seems ridiculous to me.

But I live in a country where cities want to grow their own weed so their citizens won't get any of the bad stuff...
(and yes that is actually true)
Sadly, it's illegal in most parts of the world. Very stupid, I know. It's mostly due to the fact that vast parts of America and the world in general are uneducated and when faced with something everybody else thinks is wrong they think they should think it's wrong-Once you do the research, you see that it's got almost no negative benefits, aside from the fact that it inebriates you to the point that you couldn't/shouldn't drive.
I thought there were other side-effects related to it as well? For some reason, the details elude me, but I think it had something to do with memory or something?
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Criptfeind

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2011, 06:41:51 pm »

Well, it is not studied so closely as it may be.

Some side effects might be infertility, maybe some mental birth defects if it is taken by the mother during pregnancy, psychological dependency, withdrawal issues, tentative links have been found to some psychosis, memory and intelligence drop, and the normal issues with sucking a large amount of smoke into your lungs.
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x2yzh9

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2011, 07:23:20 pm »

Well, it is not studied so closely as it may be.

Some side effects might be infertility, maybe some mental birth defects if it is taken by the mother during pregnancy, psychological dependency, withdrawal issues, tentative links have been found to some psychosis, memory and intelligence drop, and the normal issues with sucking a large amount of smoke into your lungs.
I doubt infertility. I'll agree that there may be some mental birth defects, but there are a lot of things mothers shouldn't take during pregnancy. Psychological dependancy is true, but not to a significant degree. Psychosis, memory and intelligence drop are usually in people who are already genetically predisposed to things like schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, etc. Vaporizers remove the tar and such.

I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'm just saying that the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Leafsnail

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2011, 07:30:11 pm »

There have been studies linking it quite strongly to schizophrenia (I don't see anything wrong with the Andréasson one, for instance).  Sure, it'd be mainly in people genetically predisposed to it, but it still means they end up getting it when they wouldn't have otherwise.
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scriver

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2011, 07:32:49 pm »

I'm not trying to prove you wrong, I'm just saying that the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Unless you're not an adult, in which case "the negatives" sky-rocket. What with the whole "messing with the development of the body and mind" effect all kinds of drugs and/or chemicals in general have on youngsters. So don't smoke, x2yzh9, yet. :P

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Criptfeind

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2011, 07:34:07 pm »

"Oh no the drug I was taking might have side effect! No that must be wrong for there is nothing ever bad about anything I ever do!"
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Starver

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Re: Question about Security Clearance, etc.
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2011, 07:53:24 pm »

There are accounts where people's personalities have apparently changed (for the worse), although as initial usage is usually concomitant with adolescence and all those hormones scything through the system I'm not sure how justifiable that might be.

And then there's the argument that "a little bit of weed leads onto a tab or two of LCD (edit: <= You know I meant "LSD", right?), leading onto..." and usually ending up in heroine and/or cocaine.  Although that might be because people willing start off on some form of self-medication are going to be more likely to continue onto "the harder stuff".


As someone who hasn't smoked the stuff (but quite probably inhaled, in proximity, and I must say I really do dislike (legal) tobacco smoke), I can only comment from the outside, however.  And that's probably part of the problem.  Very few top-end legislators have both experienced it and can publicly say that they experienced it, so are probably against legalisation either through ignorance or as a form of denial (because if they appear to support it, it makes them look as least as guilty as they feel).

On the other hand, there are various experts[1] who have said that certain substances are being over-persecuted.  e.g. that if you were to persist in banning certain substances you should also rule out tobacco and/or alcohol use as they're far more dangerous.

As to the OP, I would agree that it would depend upon the inherent SC environment involved.  However, if the activity is not directly tied to the person involved, or of risk to their assumed honesty[2], then any fall-out from it can only really be treated as personal bias on behalf of those rescinding clearance and (again, this will depend on the organisation involved) Unfair Dismissal procedures of some kind might well be possible.  Or at least a useful counter-argument that staves off the dismissal in the first place.  Perhaps with some sort of mutual agreement whereby "help" is given, but down that way lies a slippery slope of judgmental conservatism that I wouldn't be happy with and I mention it only because it's what I expect some institutions might propose...


[1] Although remember the golden rule: For every expert, there's an opposite and equal expert...

[2] And this risk could be 3rd-party coming up to SCed person and saying "I'll tell your establishment/boss what Little Jimmy does every weekend if you don't do something for me", so it could end up being a circular argument if the establishment/boss already has certain views...  This could also encompass all kinds of other 'vices'.  Anything from gambling, homosexuality, etc through to tendency to post to 'faceSpace'-like places.
« Last Edit: April 09, 2011, 08:30:58 pm by Starver »
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