
Elon Musk’s Security Clearance Under Review over Pot Use - whatok
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-07/elon-musk-s-security-clearance-under-review-over-pot-use
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ganoushoreilly
While it's a clear rule under the requirements of your Clearance, I think it's
about time this one is relaxed. Not to mention, depending on the clearing
authority and whom manages the clearance, there are waivers for everything.

Until we have a national ruling on pot, we're going to keep running up against
this more and more.

I'm not standing on one side or another, just pointing out that this isn't the
first and won't be the last. Do we really need to focus on pot usage or should
we pay attention to far greater issues, is all.

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whatok
I'd imagine that it probably is the last because most CEOs don't broadcast
drug use in public.

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mr_overalls
Although practically no CEO would hide alcohol use, which is - scientifically
speaking - far more harmful than cannabis use.

Edit: I mistakenly wrote "less" instead of "more". Now corrected.

~~~
whatok
I don't personally disagree with that but CEOs are the public face of a
company and he's running an American company where there is still stigma
against marijuana. It does not show good judgment on his part.

~~~
mr_overalls
I question whether there's actually a stigma. I mean, it's legal in ten
states.

~~~
joe_hills
Anything illegal in 40 states likely has an actual stigma.

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metildaa
Obviously its not stigmatized enough to dissuade Elon from publicizing his use
of weed. I'd say partaking in marijuana is more acceptable in those 40 states
than being non-straight based my own experience.

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SilasX
That seems ... confused. AIUI, the "dark past" stuff comes up in SC review
because of the possibility of being blackmailed. If it's not something that
you're defensive and evasive and embarrassed about, it's not an issue. And I
can't see why Musk would feel that way about his pot use.

That's not to say he's a shining example of someone you'd trust with secrets
though. His impulsive tweets, where he can be easily provoked into saying very
reckless things ... that seems like a much bigger strike against keeping a
clearance.

~~~
dx87
I think the main issue is he smoked pot while he already had a security
clearance, so it comes off as him acting like federal laws don't apply to him.
You're right about the past history stuff, I worked in cleared environments
for years, and one of my co-workers who partied a ton in high school and
college answered "all of them" when the federal investigator asked which
illegal drugs he'd used prior to employment. They told him that as long as he
understood that he couldn't use them after he had a clearance, his past drug
use wasn't an issue.

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cold_fact
your friend is lucky. I accepted an offer from AWS with top-level security
right out of college.

They asked if I smoked in the last year. Dumbass young me says yes but it was
~6 months prior.

Offer revoked

~~~
marssaxman
Sounds like you dodged a bullet.

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willio58
Haha the guy took one small hit of a blunt and some higher-ups in the U.S.
government want to characterize him as a national security threat.

Just goes to show how out of touch with reality the people who lead this
country are.

~~~
dogma1138
TBH his erratic behaviour and his "disregard" of federal agencies regardless
of what you think of the SEC does show that the guy isn't exactly SCI
clearance material.

What's next the NRO cancels a contract because of what he might think is some
silly reason and then Elon takes to twitter to diss the new spy satellite that
SpaceX didn't get a chance to launch?

~~~
cphoover
There is nothing erratic about smoking pot. Millions of Americans do it daily
with no negative consequence. If there are other legitimate issues that
preclude Musk from holding SCI clearance, take him on those issues.

The guy holds three citizenship, and pot across the majority of the US is a
patchwork of laws being either legalized, decriminalized or allowed for
medicinal use. It was legal in California where Joe Rogan's podcast was
filmed.

It's time for the DOD and Intelligence to evolve beyond their current
draconian policies.

~~~
dogma1138
I’m not talking about the pot I’m talking about the fact that he disobeys
orders from federal agencies after agreeing to behave and then goes ranting on
Twitter.

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bluetidepro
I'm wondering/guessing if this was something they had been trying to get
"under review" for awhile now, and him smoking Pot with Joe Rogan was finally
their way in with a "real" reason to try to jam him up. Even though for all
practical purposes this is completely dumb, and shouldn't warrant any review
at all. It's 2019, pot should not be an issue anymore, but sadly it still is
for some. If only we had bigger fish to fry.

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itodd
But it was done in the open. How can it be used as leverage?

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ratling
This is a great example of why the US government can't hire and retain
competent security and operations personal that haven't already drunk the
Kool-Aid by coming out of the US military.

It's 2019, get over this. The only way you're going to blackmail someone over
pot is because you're on about it, not because it's inherently solid blackmail
material.

~~~
LinuxBender
I agree with you. I am just guessing, but this might have to do more with it
still being a federal crime and many defense contracts that involve security
requirements require a formal review if anyone on the contract is or has been
convicted of a crime, or is under investigation. I could be way off though.

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ratling
Yep, and until Congress decides to get with 2019 the feds will continue to
have this problem.

So probably forever.

