I received an SOR related to the use and purchase of Medical THC. My state requires a medical marijuana certification, which looks like a driver’s license in order to purchase and use THC. Heads up to those who think that an “inactive” clearance exempts you as I have never in 33+ years had access to classified information.
I am retiring in 4 months.
I am working on my response to the SOR. I’m wondering if when I retire if the adjudication process will be terminated?
If you have never had access to classified information, what is the basis for getting an SOR? Are you applying for a clearance now? Are you a current fed thinking about becoming a contractor after you retire?
Technically the adjudication process (or the appeals process) should stop when you retire but sometimes it runs to completion once it reaches a certain point.
I assume you’re a DoD employee or a DoD contractor whose security clearance is under the cognizance of DCSA. If your clearance hasn’t been revoked by the time you retire and if your security office does its job properly, adjudication will stop when you retire and the status of your security clearance eligibility in DISS will change to “Loss of Jurisdiction.” Everyone whose job requires eligibility for access to classified information (security clearance) occupies a sensitive national security position; however, not everyone who occupies a sensitive national security position is eligible for access to classified information. Eligibility to occupy a sensitive national security position is treated the same as eligibility for access to classified information, in that they must be investigated and adjudicated for eligibility and when appropriate they receive SORs.
Per DCSA, I have a clearance. Per the DoD agency I work for I do “not have an active clearance”. I have that in writing as on SF86 it asks for what level of clearance you have and I asked my SMO who indicated that “ you do have an active clearance”. Since then I’ve inquired about the status in more detail and have been told that the investigation makes me “eligible” for the clearance, but “ this level of clearance eligibility does not indicate your level of access to classified information; it signifies the level for which you are eligible only.”
Hence, I have never had access to classified information.
Hey what’s an SMO? That term came up in another thread.
SMO stands for Security Management Office.
There are any number of mandatory training classes that have to be completed on an annual basis and quite frankly, most people just click through in the most expedient manner possible.
However the places I have been in the past few years do make a point of stressing that regardless of any state or local laws where you live, cannabis products are still illegal at the federal level. I’m pretty sure this extends to CBD products and in my assessment, the urinalysis tests just cannot reliably tell the difference (not to mention the producers of CBD products may not be that concerned if a little bit of THC gets in).
This is an interesting point though especially if you can show that the training you received did not cover this topic.
I was told by a security professional in the DoD that a status of eligible does mean one still has the clearance. They just do not have a current need for access to classified material. As you know, or should know, it is illegal at the federal level. Choosing to use what the federal government considers illegal, makes you, in the eyes of those adjudicating your continued eligibility, makes you ineligible.