The FBI is having a very difficult time recruiting members for its cyber-crime division because the nation’s most sought-after talent pool of top programmers and ace hackers are notoriously known for their extensive marijuana consumption.
Speaking before an audience at the New York City Bar Association on Monday May 23rd, FBI Director James B. Comey announced that the federal agency may have to re-evaluate its no-tolerance policy for marijuana use if it plans to keep pace with the world’s cyber criminals. The announcement came in the wake of the FBI charging five Chinese military officials with allegedly hacking Alcoa and Westinghouse to steal trade secrets.
James Comey, courtesy of Associated Press
Growing concerns over the surge in international cyber-crime has spurred Congress to authorize the FBI to recruit an additional 2,000 candidates for its international division tasked with investigating cyber-based terrorism, espionage, computer intrusions, identity theft, and major cyber fraud. Sidestepping drug policies to hire weed-smoking computer wizards undermines the FBI’s motto of addressing cyber-crime in a “coordinated and cohesive manner,” an issue the agency still “grappling with.”
Director Comey stated that the agency has “changed both our mindset and the way we do business.” The director even went as far as to suggest that a conference goer’s “friend” not shy away from applying for a position on account of the policy, “He should go ahead and apply,” despite the marijuana use. Present regulations dictate that any use within the last three years is subject to an automatic disqualification and more than 10 instances of usage in lifetime is a permanent disqualification.
Despite such a non-traditional statement, Comey backtracked on his opinion once confronted by Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, saying “I am absolutely dead-set against using marijuana.” It’s currently uncertain how the FBI plans to proceed to rectify their staffing concerns; a more pressing issue than the agency’s drug policy is arguably its top pay. GS-15 FBI agents make roughly $40,000 to $50,000 less than their private sector equivalent.
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