I am in the process of secret clearance investigation. I filled out most of SF-86 form at work because of time sensitive nature at the time. Basically I answered “no” to the question if I have ever used drugs previously. However at the actual interview, I mentioned that I had used marijuana on and off about once-twice a week 4 years ago for about a year. Would the inaccuracy of the interview from SF-86 form deny the clearance? The interview was around April of 2018 and i still have not heard back and I am freaking out.
Thanks in advance guys.
The fact that you haven’t heard anything since 4/18 isn’t a concern. When you presented this information to your BI, was the reason that it was left off of your SF86 discussed? They are going to list this as 100 or more times using (2X a week for 52 weeks) and that isn’t going to look good.
How old were you four years ago? Was there a discussion of mitigating factors? Do you still hang with the same guys?
This could be anything from nothing at all to a very serious issue. There are a lot of factors that come into play.
Ed nailed it. Essentially you falsified your application for a security clearance and signed an affidavit stating it was truthful. The purpose of this form is to determine if you are trust worthy. I applaud that you came forward. I hope you were completely honest. It would be hard to say you remembered the dope at the interview or simply forgot it a while back. People do survive these dumb decisions we make. If cleared you can expect to sign a conduct letter acknowledging that using drugs is not compatible with a clearance.
Thanks for the reply.
Yes I did mention that things were hectic during the time when I was filling out the form. I also mentioned that the reason why I used marijuana is because my best friend passed away and I needed it to sleep sometimes. And I do not hang out with the same people now. Also that was when I was about 24-25 years old.
Not wanting to sound trite or smart alecky…but the saying “that and $3.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Mcdonalds” is how they view that rationalization. You are asking to be evaluated for trust concerning subjects of sensitive national security. That warrants taking your time in filling out the form carefully. I too had several tell me “Well, I didn’t really read it that close.” I can say definitively, a death of a spouse and one time use of MJ…has been mitigated under “circumstances of extreme stress, unlikely to repeat itself.” But that was from a spouse, not a friend.
Once or twice a week for a year, at 24 or 25 years old, is significant use. You were old enough to understand the what you were doing was wrong and there was plenty of time in that year to work on other methods of getting to sleep. Time is the best mitigating factor here. Four years isn’t bad but “forgetting” about it while filling out your SF86 is going to be an issue.