Secret Service relaxes marijuana policy in bid to swell ranks

[IronLionZion]

(CNN)The Secret Service is relaxing its drug policy for potential hires, as its new director, Randolph Alles, laid out a plan to swell the agency's ranks by more than 3,000 in the coming years.

Speaking Thursday to reporters in his first press briefing since his appointment, Alles, 38 days into his new job, described a force of "very dedicated" agents facing near unsustainable levels of round-the-clock protective coverage.

The change to the drug policy, which went into effect in the past month, is an acknowledgment that marijuana is more prevalent in today's society, officials said, and will allow for a younger generation of applicants, many of whom have experimented with the drug when they were teenagers, access to the hiring process.

Following a "whole-person concept" in hiring, the Secret Service will no longer disqualify an applicant who has used marijuana more than a certain number of times, instead potentially allowing a candidate who admits to using the drug, taking into consideration the time between his or her last use and their application to the agency.

It's a shift that puts the force in line with other federal law enforcement agencies, the agency said.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/politics/secret-service-new-marijuana-policy/?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool

I knew it! the Secret Service is hard up to get recruits. I see the ads here on DU. If any Democrat were in the white house, I might consider applying for the financial crimes division. But it sounds like they need more agents to protect the President. Every day they get 6-8 threats, which was similar for Obama.

[kairos12]

1. Are they going to weed me my rights now?

[forgotmylogin]

2. Yeah, sign me up to take a bullet for 45.

Actually, you'll need to sign up 3 or 4 people to get full coverage on the Pres, in sort of a pyramid/wall gymnastic formation.

In all seriousness, this will need to be relaxed for most private citizen hiring going forward, as just admitting you "inhaled once in college" in the past was enough to disqualify you despite reasonable circumstances.

[IronLionZion]

4. I suspect our fearless commander in chief is on something stronger

[dchill]

3. "Secret Service is hard up to get recruits."

That's about the size of it.

[iamateacher]

5. They have been low people for a long time...some facts

They work long and irregular hours and there is a cap on overtime. They protect people besides the president including past presidents, cabinet members (sometimes) and foreign dignitaries like the Pope. In fact, the Secret Service planned the pope's visit in Philly and other cities. You have to have been in the Secret Service 10 years before you are on presidential detail.