[jordan0day]

Maybe, but the whole point of these interviews are to try to determine how susceptible a person is to being "turned", that is, blackmailed/bribed/forced against their will to working against US interests.

Maybe the FBI is being stodgy, but if someone has been addicted to certain illegal drugs (I know, I know, use doesn't mean addiction) that's one additional angle an "enemy" could use to exploit this person.

[vacri]

I was told by the holder of a Secret clearance here in Aus that the interviews about background were largely about exposing potential blackmail levers and less about moral transgressions.

He also mentioned three general levels of clearance - classified, secret negative, secret positive. Negative is closer to a background check in style. Positive is the exhaustive fine-toothed comb.

[glhaynes]

Or even if they were particularly averse to friends/family members/church members/etc finding out about their use. I've known people who aggressively hid their (regular) weed smoking from their spouses. (Yeah, not exactly an optimal relationship, but it definitely happens...)