Purchase for Intended Profit of "Another"...Who's "Another?"

SECURITY CLEARANCE Q&A
1

Regarding the below question (Part B of Sec. 21 on SF85P):

“In the last 7 years, have you been involved in the illegal purchase, manufacture, trafficking, production, transfer, shipping, receiving, or sale of any narcotic, depressant, stimulant, hallucinogen, or cannabis, for your own intended profit or that of another?”

Previously I’ve assumed this question was asking about purchasing drugs with the intent to make money for yourself or your friends (i.e., drug dealing, reselling…), and have answered “No” while admitting to the use of drugs that I purchased in “legal” states for solely private personal consumption and no reselling.

HOWEVER, does the question wording technically include ANY purchase of drugs, even for private use, such as marijuana at a dispensary in a “legal” state? I ask because inherently any “purchase” results in profits for “another”, in my example scenario the “other” party is the dispensary.

I would love to hear from investigators on how this question is interpreted.

2

Purchase of marijuana is federally illegal, even if purchased in a state where legal.

Would be more concerned with my ‘no’ answer than the parsing out of the definition of ‘profit of another.’

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3

“for another” means working for or with someone else who will financially gain from your “illegal purchase, manufacture, trafficking, production, transfer, shipping, receiving, or sale of any narcotic, depressant, stimulant, hallucinogen, or cannabis”

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4

So if person A bought and used it for themselves and did not give it or sell it to anyone else, would they answer yes to this question?

5

The reason for that question is to see if you have been involved in manufacturing/trafficking/selling for profit. So, if you have “only” consumed for personal use, then the answer to this question would be No. I don’t have the form handy but I know there are questions that address personal use.

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8

What agency is this for? if you don’t mind answering

10

When you buy for personal use, you are NOT buying for the seller to make a profit, you are buying so that you have something to smoke. When I fill the tank on my car, I am not buying gas so that Exxon makes a profit. I’m buying gas so that I don’t end up stuck on the side of the road.

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