USA: FBI Director James Comey says he must "grapple with the change in my workforce" among the attitudes of young people toward marijuana usage
Record ID:
694985
USA: FBI Director James Comey says he must "grapple with the change in my workforce" among the attitudes of young people toward marijuana usage
- Title: USA: FBI Director James Comey says he must "grapple with the change in my workforce" among the attitudes of young people toward marijuana usage
- Date: 21st May 2014
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MAY 21, 2014) (UNRESTRICTED POOL) WIDESHOT FBI DIRECTOR JAMES B. COMEY ENTERING HEARING ROOM COMEY SITTING WITH SENATE JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY WALKING LEAHY OPENING HEARING SAYING "Good morning, everybody." COMEY SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS SAYING: "I am concerned about a few things and I want you to get a little perspective here. I was very disappointed in a Wall Street Journal article May 20, in which you seem to make light of marijuana use by those who would like to work for the FBI. You say I have to hire a great workforce to compete with those cyber criminals and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview. You say you have to loosen up your no tolerance policy, which is just a three year, haven't used marijuana in three years. Do you understand that that could be interpreted as one more example of leadership in America dismissing the seriousness of marijuana use and that could undermine our ability to convince young people not to, or go down a dangerous path?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) FBI DIRECTOR JAMES B. COMEY SAYING: "Very much, senator. I am determined not to loose my sense of humor, but unfortunately there I was trying to be both serious and funny. I was asked a question by a guy who said I have a great candidate for the FBI, his problem is he smoked marijuana within the last five years, and I said, I am not going to discuss a particular case, but apply, and then I waxed philosophic and funny to say look one of our challenges that we face is getting a good work force at the same time when young people's attitudes about marijuana and our states' attitudes about marijuana are leading more and more of them to try it. I am absolutely dead set against using marijuana. I don't want young people to use marijuana. It's against the law. We have a three year ban marijuana. I did not say that I'm going to change that ban. I said I have to grapple with the change in my workforce, how do I reconcile my need." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENATOR JEFF SESSIONS SAYING: "I appreciate that. I think you should understand your words can have ramifications out there." COMEY WALKING OUT COMMITTEE MEMBERS WALKING OUT
- Embargoed: 5th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVAEW25VP9APDR8XQJ0I7L819CRC
- Story Text: Testifying before the the Senate Judiciary Committee, FBI Director James B. Comey attempted to explain comments he had made regarding candidates for the Bureau who had smoked marijuana.
"I am determined not to loose my sense of humor, but unfortunately there I was trying to be both serious and funny. I was asked a question by a guy who said I have a great candidate for the FBI, his problem is he smoked marijuana within the last five years, and I said, I am not going to discuss a particular case, but apply," Comey said during questions from Republican Senator Jeff Sessions.
Comey went on to say that he was attempting to wax "philosophic and funny" during a time of changing attitudes toward marijuana by both young people and some states.
There currently is a three-year ban on marijuana use before candidates can apply to the FBI.
"I did not say that I'm going to change that ban. I said I have to grapple with the change in my workforce," Comey added.
To which, Sessions responded, "I appreciate that. I think you should understand your words can have ramifications out there." - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None