Elon Musk's security clearance reportedly under review due to pot use
SpaceX CEO has refiled a federal form that includes a question about illegal drug use, Bloomberg reports.
Elon Musk's puff of a marijuana blunt during a podcast may imperil his security clearance.
Elon Musk's federal security clearance is being reviewed by the Pentagon after his use of marijuana on a comedian's podcast last year, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
The SpaceX CEO has refiled a questionnaire for national security positions that requires applicants to disclose any use of illegal drugs during the previous seven years, a US official told Bloomberg. Musk has a top-secret level clearance because the company he founded and leads is certified to launch military spy satellites for the US government.
The review underscores the ramifications of Musk's appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in September, where he took a puff of a marijuana blunt during the livestream. Musk's appearance on the program didn't sit well with NASA's top officials, who earlier this month ordered a review of the workplace cultures of SpaceX and Boeing.
NASA's contracts with the aerospace companies -- worth a combined total of $6.8 billion -- require both companies "maintain a program for achieving a drug-and alcohol-free workforce."
California, where the podcast was recorded, legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use in January 2018, but the federal government still prohibits its use, especially among federal employees or contractors with security clearances.
SpaceX representatives didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.