Senator Proposes DOOBIE Act To End Cannabis Discrimination In Federal Hiring And Security Clearances
U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the Dismantling Outdated Obstacles and Barriers to Individual Employment or the DOOBIE Act. This bill seeks to modernize federal employment standards by ensuring that past cannabis use no longer serves as an automatic disqualifier for federal jobs or security clearances.
DOOBIE Act Aims to Modernize Federal Hiring
The DOOBIE Act proposes to align federal hiring practices with contemporary societal norms and existing state laws regarding marijuana use. Currently, despite many states legalizing both medical and recreational cannabis, federal applicants can still face rejection based solely on their past use. “This misalignment between evolving state laws, federal guidance, and actual hiring practices has created a barrier for talented individuals seeking federal employment,” said Peters in a press release.
Codifying Cannabis-Use Hiring Guidelines
The legislation aims to codify the guidance issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2021, which stated that past marijuana …