U.S. Senate Committee Passes DOOBIE Act to Prevent Denial of Jobs and Security Clearances Over Marijuana Use

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Today, the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee gave approval to the DOOBIE Act, which would “limit the consideration of marijuana use when making an employment suitability or security clearance determination”.

The DOOBIE Act was filed in July by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment (DOOBIE) Act (Senate Bill 4711), which would “ensure applicants for federal positions or security clearances are not being denied solely on the basis of past recreational and medical marijuana use”, was passed by a vote of 9 to 5.

Under current law, qualified candidates may be denied federal employment or security clearances due to past use of marijuana or cannabis products, despite legalization of these products at the state level throughout the nation. While federal agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), have issued guidance stating that past marijuana use alone should not disqualify candidates, many potential applicants remain hesitant to pursue federal positions due to a fear of automatic disqualification.

The DOOBIE Act would align federal hiring practices with current guidance on past marijuana use, broaden the applicant pool by providing clarity for prospective federal employees, and help the government compete with the private sector for talent.

“As we work to build a highly skilled federal workforce, it’s crucial that the federal government modernizes its hiring practices to reflect evolving laws and societal norms,” said Senator Peters. “My bill will take the commonsense step to align federal statutes with existing agency guidance and ensure that talented individuals are not automatically disqualified from service solely due to past marijuana use. By providing this much-needed clarity for agencies and applicants, we will ensure that the federal government can recruit and retain the best and brightest to serve our nation.”

The measure is similar to the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act, which was filed in the US House of Representatives in September by Congressmember Jamie Raskin. The measure currently has 11 sponsors, 10 Democrat and one Republican.

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