Qualified Applicants Rejected by FBI for Past Marijuana Use

Due to many US states recently loosening their stance on marijuana both medically and recreationally, the FBI has been forced to reject a fair amount of overly-qualified applicants for no reason other than that they have used marijuana. The FBI has a strict policy that bars any of its employees from using marijuana within the past 3 years.

At a White Collar Crime Institute conference earlier this week, FBI Director James Comey, implied that it has been especially difficult to find the right candidates for the job because the majority of computer “hackers” are overly fond of marijuana. Comey went on to say, “I have to hire a great workforce to compete with those cyber-criminals, and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview.”

Comey was later questioned by an Alabama Senator, who didn’t seem to think his jovial attitude was very appropriate. Senator Sessions felt that Comey’s prior statement “could be interpreted as one more example of leadership in America dismissing the seriousness of marijuana use.” Comey, however, stuck to his guns and made it well known that he was “absolutely dead-set” against marijuana.

While the FBI doesn’t appear to be loosening its stance on marijuana use, it’s certainly nice to see people in such high positions that can no longer turn a blind eye to how socially acceptable marijuana use in America is becoming.