FBI Director admits agency needs to loosen its pot policies

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USDOJ


Update – 10:00 a.m. 5/21/2014: FBI Director James Comey has pulled a 180 today, announcing that he is in no way loosening the agency policy on marijuana use. Comey has indicated that his comments were a joke (an unfunny joke that basically stereotypes all young people and computer hackers as pot users). Comey retracted his comments today at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting after being grilled by Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions.
“I am absolutely dead-set against using marijuana,” Comey said today. “I did not say that I am going to change that ban.” Original story below.


Original story – 8:20 a.m. 5/21/2014: Across the globe, national governments are finding themselves incredibly vulnerable to the latest form of terrorism to rear its head – cyber terrorism.
Whether it be for financial or informational purposes, or something even more sinister altogether, foreign security agencies are scrambling to shore up their cyber defenses against attacks from foes from home and abroad already occurring at alarming rates. In the European Union alone, organized crime groups are bilking the system for the equivalent of $1.9-billion every single year. By comparison, one report by Norton Security calculated that in 2011 alone, cybercrime cost the U.S. $110-billion.
But again, this alleged digital espionage is not always motivated purely by quick cash, as even the U.S. is finding its most treasured industry and national security secrets being aired like the dirty laundry it often is. So what to do about it?
The suddenly tight-fisted Congress did get enough money printed to allow the FBI to attempt to hire 2000 new agents, many of whom are to be brought on for the sole purpose of battling cybercrimes.
We say “attempt to hire” because, as the feds are finding out, their antiquated job requisites don’t match up at all with the typically younger, more street-wise, though well-intentioned, hackers that they so desperately need to add to their ranks.
One highly publicized sticking point that seems to keep getting passed around is the fact that anyone who has consumed cannabis in any way in the past three years is automatically denied consideration by the FBI hiring process.
With their target hiring pool full of activists, gamers, trolls, and downright do-good hackers, such a strict anti-pot policy has proven to be a real problem for the Bureau.
This dilemma led to some of the best anti-drug war propaganda ever, and it was delivered straight from the mouth of FBI Director Joe Comey, who told a room full of lawyers at an anti-crime summit in New York City on Monday, “I have to hire a great work force to compete with those cyber criminals and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview.”
Rather than bust into some lame ass Funyuns jokes, Director Comey admitted that cannabis use by talented, trustworthy, good people and potential applicants is a real issue that the FBI recognizes needs amending.
One audience member at the annual White Collar Crime Institute conference asked Comey about a friend who wanted to apply for the FBI, but was hesitant to do so due to past ganja use. To his credit, Comey said, “He should go ahead and apply.”
Comey’s public comments on cannabis may be unprecedented by an FBI Director, but they certainly fall in line with heavy hints from the White House and Justice Department that national cannabis reform is imminent.
The secret is out, you can ask the FBI; even good people like weed.

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