LANSING – Michigan Democrat Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation to ensure applicants for federal positions or security clearances are not being denied solely based on past recreational and medical marijuana use. The bill would also exempt marijuana from a blanket denial in security clearance statutes and add statutory clarification that past marijuana use alone cannot disqualify candidates from federal employment. Under current law, qualified candidates may be denied federal employment or security clearances due to past use of marijuana or cannabis products, despite the legalization of these products at the state level throughout the nation, including in Michigan. 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized both medical and recreational marijuana use, with an additional 14 states permitting medical use.
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