The FBI has a problem. The agency needs to hire hackers to build out its cyber crime division, but it also will not hire anyone who's smoked weed in the past three years. And guess what? A lot of hackers like to smoke weed.
It's a real conundrum. However, it's a conundrum the FBI is working through. On Monday—the same day the agency made headlines by issuing wanted posters for Chinese Army hackers—FBI director James Comey told an audience at the White Collar Crime Institute about this little pot problem. "I have to hire a great work force to compete with those cyber criminals, and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview," Comey said. Exactly how to do that is the hard part. Comey added that the agency is "grappling with the question right now."
So does this mean the FBI is looking to hire stoners? No, probably not. It does look like our friends in federal law enforcement are warming up to the idea of hiring people that like to take part in a fun activity that's legal in two states and practically legal in many more, though. In fact, Comey even told a member of the audience that his friend "should go ahead and apply," even if he's worried about the policy. And so can you. [WSJ]
Update (5.21.2014): Apparently, not everyone appreciated James Comey's off-the-cuff remarks about weed. An ardently anti-drug Senator brought it up during a Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, at which point the FBI director backpedalled a bit. "I am absolutely dead-set against using marijuana," said Comey who clarified that he's against smoking pot. "I did not say that I am going to change that ban." He did admit that the FBI is thinking about it, though.
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