Multiple Biden White House staffers asked to resign or placed on leave for marijuana use: Report

Multiple staffers in President Biden's White House were reportedly asked to resign, placed on leave, or requested to accept a remote position due to past marijuana use, despite indications that the administration would be friendlier to aides who used the drug.

Those looking to work in Biden's orbit were required to fill out a lengthy background form, and some had their career prospects come to an end after they indicated past cannabis use, according to the Daily Beast, which cited three anonymous staffers affected by the reported policy. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that five people "are no longer employed as a result of this policy." 

“There were one-on-one calls with individual affected staffers — rather, ex-staffers,” a former aide said. “I was asked to resign.”

The trio of aides further indicated that they were told by top brass that marijuana usage would not bar them from employment, and they said many of those who were fired or suspended were penalized for using the drug in states where it was legal. 

“Nothing was ever explained," the person said. “The policies were never explained, the threshold for what was excusable and what was inexcusable was never explained," adding that White House Director of Management and Administration Anne Filipic led the inquiries.

In late February, it was reported that the Biden administration was set to waive a requirement for Executive Office of the President appointees to have a "Top Secret" security clearance to allow the hiring of staffers who used marijuana in the past. The waiver, which would be given out on a case-by-case basis, would only apply to those who used the drug in a "limited" capacity.

The White House is “committed to bringing the best people into government — especially the young people whose commitment to public service can deepen in these positions,” it told the Daily Beast, adding that the marijuana policy is more lenient than that of previous administrations.