the FBI has struggled to hire hackers because of marijuana.

The FBI desperate to recruit white-hat hackers are quietly and slightly relaxing the ban on hiring anyone who has used illegal drugs in the past.

Generally speaking, any kind of substance abuse will rule you out of the running for a job at the NSA, Homeland Security, the FBI, and so forth. It should therefore be no surprise that the Feds have been unable to recruit talented hackers due to their past drug use.

With marijuana now a legal substance in various US states including California, the recruitment of suitable candidates is still somewhat of a struggle. So it appears the government is easing up.

So if you haven’t done anything crazy like injected mephedrone into your eyeballs over breakfast but kept it to a few tokes of Mary Jane you should be fine. As long as you can pass and continue to pass a drug test Uncle Sam wants you to apply at least.

An NSA representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told a local newspaper this; “Now, so long as you can pass a drug test and don’t do them any more, then it won’t hurt your application.”

While certain US states have approved the use of the cannabis under federal law it’s still illegal and the Feds want to make sure none of their agents are using. Nevertheless, even the FBI has relaxed its stance somewhat.

“Basically, if you haven’t smoked marijuana in the past three years then it won’t be an issue,” an FBI agent explained. “Any use of certain other hard drugs will bar you from joining; the three-year rule does apply to marijuana.”

A Department of Homeland Security rep clarified, some what aswell. “Staff are still liable to have random drug tests, though the past is the past. Even if weed is legal in your state, you can’t work at Homeland Security and smoke it.”

Having a drug conviction on your record almost certainly bars you from a federal security-related job and failing a drugs test while employed is grounds for instant dismissal.