Washington, D.C.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is considering easing its restrictions on applicants with a history of drug use, officials said this week. Under the current rules, the FBI will not employ anyone who has used any illegal drug, including marijuana, within the last three years, or more than 15 times in their lifetime. But senior FBI managers have recently expressed frustration at the rigidity of the system, and at having to reject otherwise well-qualified candidates because they smoked 16 joints in college, rather than 15. “The integrity of the FBI is a known national treasure that must be protected,” said former drug czar Barry McCaffrey. “But there should be no hard-and-fast rule that suggests you can’t ever have used drugs.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 – 21 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
The Week Unwrapped: Will US Catholics rebel against the Pope?Podcast Plus what are the ethics of freezing your late partner?
