Security clearances are adjudicated by examining the candidate’s history from a variety of sources, to include references that are identified via DS and court and police records. While criminal and drug history are relevant to the adjudication of a security clearance, there are also factors that mitigate such concerns, such as the amount of time that has passed, and the circumstances under which the behavior occurred, and likelihood of recurrence.  For more information, visit https://www.state.gov/security-clearances.