The FBI is easing its anti-cannabis recruitment guidelines to attract new applicants

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has tacitly updated its anti-cannabis employment policy and is one of the first federal agencies to accept the fact that most Americans now live in a state where weed in any form is legal.

In a recent tweet, the Chicago FBI office announced to potential applicants that the agency had just updated its marijuana policy to “continue to attract the most qualified candidates.” Under this new policy, applicants are prohibited from “using marijuana or cannabis in any form (natural or synthetic) and anywhere (domestic or foreign) within one (1) year prior to the date of their application for a job” .

As recently as last month, the agency’s employment policy excluded applicants who had used cannabis at any time in the 3 years prior to their application date. The updated policy also includes a concession for adolescent indiscretions that “marijuana or cannabis use before the candidate’s 18th birthday does not preclude employment with the FBI”.

Overall, the agency’s cannabis policy is far less restrictive than its regulations on other illicit drugs. The recruitment policy states that “Candidates have not used any illicit drugs other than marijuana in the ten (10) years prior to the date of application for employment.” Applicants who previously sold, manufactured or transported illegal drugs will also be automatically disqualified.

But despite these updated cannabis guidelines, the FBI warns that it is “firmly committed to a drug-free society and a drug-free workplace.” The agency still requires its employees to undergo random drug tests, and anyone who tests positive for THC will lose their job. The only exception to this rule are employees who have a valid prescription for dronabinol, a synthetic form of THC that has been fully approved by the FDA.

Even with the update, the FBI’s anti-cannabis employment guidelines are still pretty strict, but they pale in comparison to the guidelines of other federal agencies. NASA and all branches of the U.S. military even prohibit their employees and service members from using any CBD products under federal law – including hemp shampoos or lip balms. Federal agencies are also banning commercial airline pilots from using CBD and will be firing any employee who sequentially uses cannabis, even if it is legal in their home state.

In March of this year, the Federal Office of Human Resources released a memo urging federal agencies to be more open to hiring employees who have gotten high in the past. But three weeks later, the White House fired and suspended several employees who had admitted past cannabis use.

Overall, federal agencies seem committed to maintaining strict anti-weed recruitment policies, but the private sector is already in the process of getting rid of these outdated rules. Amazon recently announced that it would no longer test its employees for cannabis, and a growing number of states and cities are banning most employers from conducting drug screenings for cannabis.