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Posted: 2021-03-24T19:34:50Z | Updated: 2021-03-24T19:56:34Z

The White House defended its firing of five White House staffers over past marijuana use, with press secretary Jen Psaki suggesting that other security issues had factored into employees being let go.

At a Wednesday press briefing, a reporter pressed Psaki on the Biden administration terminating five employees over previous marijuana consumption, even though staff were led to believe pot use would not be disqualifying.

Psaki insisted that the administration had worked with the security service, which makes this determination and that in the past, the rules were actually far more stringent.

Marijuana is legal in a number of states across the country it is still illegal federally, Psaki said, adding that in terms of the five people no longer employed, for a number of them, there were other security issues that were raised.

Psaki insisted that other team members who would not have been able to serve in previous administrations due to stricter policies were currently working for President Joe Biden.

If marijuana was federally legal, that would be a different circumstance, Psaki said.

\"It is still illegal federally\" -- Jen Psaki explains why past marijuana use resulted in a number of White House staffers losing their jobs pic.twitter.com/AkaoxqQKOC

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"It is still illegal federally" -- Jen Psaki explains why past marijuana use resulted in a number of White House staffers losing their jobs pic.twitter.com/AkaoxqQKOC

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 24, 2021

Over a dozen states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana.

In 2019, then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke of her own previous marijuana use , saying that the drug gives a lot of people joy, and supported it being legalized at the federal level.

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Biden has not backed federal legalization of marijuana, instead supporting decriminalizing its use.

The Daily Beast reported last week that dozens of Biden administration staffers were disciplined , and some asked to resign, due to their past marijuana use.

Psaki defended the decision late last week, pointing to the administrations original announcement saying that marijuana use wouldnt automatically be disqualifying . She also confirmed then that five people who had started working at the White House were no longer employed as a result of this policy.

HuffPost did not immediately get a response to a request for further comment.

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