Five White House staffers fired over drugs, marijuana use

Five White House staffers have been fired because of their past use of drugs, including marijuana. The White House has said there can be multiple factors for dismissals, including hard drug use.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday the administration has tried not to automatically penalise potential staffers for legal behaviour in their communities by developing a more flexible policy.

Marijuana has become a delicate issue for President Joe Biden's administration because several states and Washington DC allow for recreational usage despite a federal prohibition.

To this end, the marijuana policy has become less stringent under the Biden administration, allowing for up to 15 past uses in a year among White House staffers.

Hundreds of aides in the administration, hence, have cleared the suitability review by career staffers handling security issues. 

Earlier, at least 25 clearance denials were overturned by President Donald Trump's administration.