07/12/2026
The FBI has long barred applicants who used ma*****na within the previous three years, a policy former Director James Comey said made it harder to recruit top cybersecurity talent.
In 2014, Comey acknowledged that many highly skilled candidates had more recent ma*****na use than the FBI’s hiring standards allowed, saying the agency needed to “grapple” with the challenge. However, he also made clear that the policy itself was not changing.
While some U.S. agencies later relaxed their ma*****na hiring rules, the FBI reportedly kept its three-year lookback period. The policy applies even in states where ma*****na is legal, since the bureau follows federal standards.
Do you think past ma*****na use should affect someone’s eligibility for cybersecurity jobs?