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Government Job and weed use

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Originally posted by: Chemist
Originally posted by: miri
If a man can become president and smoke weed, I think your ok.
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But he didn't inhale, so he doesn't count.
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People smoke pipes and cigars a lot and dont inhale and get a lot of nicotine through saliva. Im sure the same applies to pot.
 
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: anonymous19
Originally posted by: loki8481
how would the government know?
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I was told that when you apply for a security clearance they interview people far back in your past.
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Even if they don't interview those people, being a newbie first time weed smoker you are screwed. That sh!t stays in your system for ~10 years.
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Only in your fat cells, and I doubt it'd be in there from one time. My guess is he didn't take too many drags. The thing is, testing fat cells is pretty expensive, or so I hear, and you can get away with it in all the tests that they routinely do.
 
Originally posted by: aplefka
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: anonymous19
Originally posted by: loki8481
how would the government know?
Click to expand...
I was told that when you apply for a security clearance they interview people far back in your past.
Click to expand...

Even if they don't interview those people, being a newbie first time weed smoker you are screwed. That sh!t stays in your system for ~10 years.
Click to expand...

Only in your fat cells, and I doubt it'd be in there from one time. My guess is he didn't take too many drags. The thing is, testing fat cells is pretty expensive, or so I hear, and you can get away with it in all the tests that they routinely do.
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Please stop while you are behind.
 
that is not true

even for top of the line security clearances, past drug use is "ok" i believe the general question is, within the last two years. also, if you were not a habitual user its even less of a concern.

if they kept everyone who had tried dope out of the govt, it wouldnt exist

the most important thing if you are going for a security clearance is to NOT LIE.

trying dope once and lying about it will get your clearance denied.
doing every drug on earth for years, but then going sober for a couple years and coming clean on everything, you can still get a clearance. i am involved in the industry and know this for fact.
 
Originally posted by: aplefka
Only in your fat cells, and I doubt it'd be in there from one time. My guess is he didn't take too many drags. The thing is, testing fat cells is pretty expensive, or so I hear, and you can get away with it in all the tests that they routinely do.
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You don't really know much about anything, do you?
 
Originally posted by: SacrosanctFiend
Originally posted by: aplefka
Only in your fat cells, and I doubt it'd be in there from one time. My guess is he didn't take too many drags. The thing is, testing fat cells is pretty expensive, or so I hear, and you can get away with it in all the tests that they routinely do.
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You don't really know much about anything, do you?
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Beat you to it.
 
I work for the government. I have never taken a drug test in my life. I have never been asked by my employer about drug usage.
 
Originally posted by: Jassi
I was told by a CIA recruiter that if you are a regular or a casual user, its hurts but experimental is ignored.
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Exactly the same thing I was told. They don't want regular users but if you tried or used in the past, they don't care. Just don't lie about your past usage.
 
i doubt that is true. i have a friend who works at a major defense contractor designing rockets and crap (he won't go into detail). they put him on a lie detector and asked him if he had smoked it (he smokes it everyday). he said "i did it once in college," (technically true), and they gave him the job anyway.
 
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
that is not true

even for top of the line security clearances, past drug use is "ok" i believe the general question is, within the last two years. also, if you were not a habitual user its even less of a concern.

if they kept everyone who had tried dope out of the govt, it wouldnt exist

the most important thing if you are going for a security clearance is to NOT LIE.

trying dope once and lying about it will get your clearance denied.
doing every drug on earth for years, but then going sober for a couple years and coming clean on everything, you can still get a clearance. i am involved in the industry and know this for fact.
Click to expand...

This man has it right. As an Army Reserve MP and a Department of the Army civilian, I can say that you should report the use honestly when asked, but it should not impede upon your aspirations of getting a job or even a security clearnance with the government. It's the people who say they NEVER used that makes them question (hence the reason my damn clearance is taking so long).
 
Originally posted by: Rogue
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
that is not true

even for top of the line security clearances, past drug use is "ok" i believe the general question is, within the last two years. also, if you were not a habitual user its even less of a concern.

if they kept everyone who had tried dope out of the govt, it wouldnt exist

the most important thing if you are going for a security clearance is to NOT LIE.

trying dope once and lying about it will get your clearance denied.
doing every drug on earth for years, but then going sober for a couple years and coming clean on everything, you can still get a clearance. i am involved in the industry and know this for fact.
Click to expand...

This man has it right. As an Army Reserve MP and a Department of the Army civilian, I can say that you should report the use honestly when asked, but it should not impede upon your aspirations of getting a job or even a security clearnance with the government. It's the people who say they NEVER used that makes them question (hence the reason my damn clearance is taking so long).
Click to expand...

Yep, as a naval civilian I can also confirm this 🙂

It is more about being honest than doing something stupid in your past. As long as you come clean on all the dirt in your life then you won't have a problem. Unless things involved being anti-american, theft(habitual), and deviant sexual behavior(still don't know what they are looking for here but I wasn't worried).
 
Originally posted by: Codewiz
Originally posted by: Rogue
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
that is not true

even for top of the line security clearances, past drug use is "ok" i believe the general question is, within the last two years. also, if you were not a habitual user its even less of a concern.

if they kept everyone who had tried dope out of the govt, it wouldnt exist

the most important thing if you are going for a security clearance is to NOT LIE.

trying dope once and lying about it will get your clearance denied.
doing every drug on earth for years, but then going sober for a couple years and coming clean on everything, you can still get a clearance. i am involved in the industry and know this for fact.
Click to expand...

This man has it right. As an Army Reserve MP and a Department of the Army civilian, I can say that you should report the use honestly when asked, but it should not impede upon your aspirations of getting a job or even a security clearnance with the government. It's the people who say they NEVER used that makes them question (hence the reason my damn clearance is taking so long).
Click to expand...

Yep, as a naval civilian I can also confirm this 🙂

It is more about being honest than doing something stupid in your past. As long as you come clean on all the dirt in your life then you won't have a problem. Unless things involved being anti-american, theft(habitual), and deviant sexual behavior(still don't know what they are looking for here but I wasn't worried).
Click to expand...


I can confirm what both of the above said.. For any other questions on the app for a security clearance, you best be honest as well. If they find that you've lied about anything, you're facing trouble, but if you're completely honest, you shouldn't have a problem. The longer it's been since the "bad points" of your life that you have to tell about (financial issues, drugs, etc), the better off you are.
Don't be stupid and mess with any drugs or get arrested once you do have your clearance - They can pull it out from ya quick and ruin a good, stable career.
 
Originally posted by: cornbread
Originally posted by: Codewiz
Originally posted by: Rogue
Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
that is not true

even for top of the line security clearances, past drug use is "ok" i believe the general question is, within the last two years. also, if you were not a habitual user its even less of a concern.

if they kept everyone who had tried dope out of the govt, it wouldnt exist

the most important thing if you are going for a security clearance is to NOT LIE.

trying dope once and lying about it will get your clearance denied.
doing every drug on earth for years, but then going sober for a couple years and coming clean on everything, you can still get a clearance. i am involved in the industry and know this for fact.
Click to expand...

This man has it right. As an Army Reserve MP and a Department of the Army civilian, I can say that you should report the use honestly when asked, but it should not impede upon your aspirations of getting a job or even a security clearnance with the government. It's the people who say they NEVER used that makes them question (hence the reason my damn clearance is taking so long).
Click to expand...

Yep, as a naval civilian I can also confirm this 🙂

It is more about being honest than doing something stupid in your past. As long as you come clean on all the dirt in your life then you won't have a problem. Unless things involved being anti-american, theft(habitual), and deviant sexual behavior(still don't know what they are looking for here but I wasn't worried).
Click to expand...


I can confirm what both of the above said.. For any other questions on the app for a security clearance, you best be honest as well. If they find that you've lied about anything, you're facing trouble, but if you're completely honest, you shouldn't have a problem. The longer it's been since the "bad points" of your life that you have to tell about (financial issues, drugs, etc), the better off you are.
Don't be stupid and mess with any drugs or get arrested once you do have your clearance - They can pull it out from ya quick and ruin a good, stable career.
Click to expand...

I can fourth what these people said. They asked me what drugs I did, how many times, and how long ago was the last time I did it. So I told them, and now I have a clearance.
 
Originally posted by: anonymous1980s
Well, last night I tried marijuana for the first time and hated it. I tried it to see if my suspicion was correct (about not liking it), and now that I have I want to forget it ever happened.

My question is I heard if you have even done marijuana once, you cannot get a government job, is that true?

Let me also clarify that I also was wondering about when you get security clearances for classified information.
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I'll hit on everything.

1) USING MARIJUANNA ONCE WILL DO NOTHING. It takes the 2nd or 3rd use for there to be an effect. And trust me, you'll know it when you feal it. Your suspicion resulted in a possibly false conclusion. You need to feal the effects before forming a conclusion after all.

2) If that's all you did, you probably won't test positive. Drink as much water as you can to purge your system prior to a drug test though. For the prior 48 hours. Rumor has it that Golden Seal Root Herb from GNC helps. I think that's a myth though.

3) Once you pass your test, you will never be tested again unless you provide them a reason to suspect something. Atleast that's how it works where I work. Getting security clearences does not require a drug test. All security clearences do is try to make sure you are not likely to give away secrets. Drug use does not imply that you give away secrets. It will be asked on a form, but you will never (from my experience) get tested/retested.
 
Originally posted by: IHateMyJob2004
Originally posted by: anonymous1980s
Well, last night I tried marijuana for the first time and hated it. I tried it to see if my suspicion was correct (about not liking it), and now that I have I want to forget it ever happened.

My question is I heard if you have even done marijuana once, you cannot get a government job, is that true?

Let me also clarify that I also was wondering about when you get security clearances for classified information.
Click to expand...

I'll hit on everything.

1) USING MARIJUANNA ONCE WILL DO NOTHING. It takes the 2nd or 3rd use for there to be an effect. And trust me, you'll know it when you feal it. Your suspicion resulted in a possibly false conclusion. You need to feal the effects before forming a conclusion after all.

2) If that's all you did, you probably won't test positive. Drink as much water as you can to purge your system prior to a drug test though. For the prior 48 hours. Rumor has it that Golden Seal Root Herb from GNC helps. I think that's a myth though.

3) Once you pass your test, you will never be tested again unless you provide them a reason to suspect something. Atleast that's how it works where I work. Getting security clearences does not require a drug test. All security clearences do is try to make sure you are not likely to give away secrets. Drug use does not imply that you give away secrets. It will be asked on a form, but you will never (from my experience) get tested/retested.
Click to expand...
I had to get a drug test when I started my job, but I am not sure if that was for the clearance or my company. Drug use doesn't imply that you will give away secrets, but any addiction can be a weakness. The main things they look for with a security clearance (and why - or at least why they claim why):

Drug use (includes prescription drugs and alcohol) - in addition to being illegal behavior, habitual drug use poses a threat because enemies can use it as temptation (military secrets for drugs etc.)

Bad finances - for one, it reflects irresponsibility. also, someone with money trouble is more likely to take money in exchange for secrets.

sexual behavior - this is mostly blackmail material. cheat on your wife and never told her? well that could be a problem bc you might do anything to keep her from finding out... same thing with other weird behaviors

criminal behavior - pretty much self explanatory

foreign contacts - if you have a lot of foreign contacts, this can be a threat. if enemy countries find you have secrets, they have more avenues to manipulate you
 
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