I must admit, I love pot.  I've smoked regularly for the past 2-3 years and I've loved every second of it.  Never did I expect to get a sweet interview for a DoD agency that requires a drug test and a polygraph.  I quit smoking about 3 weeks ago in hopes I'd pass the piss test, but my friends joke around that I might as well continue to smoke, because when I answer pot-related questions on the poly, the machine will "blow up."

I've never done any other drug, been arrested, lied, stolen, or done anything else that would lead to a failed exam.  And to be honest - I have no problem attempting to use contermeasures on the poly exam because I think it's BS that someone who drinks regularly (not an alcoholic) won't hurt his chances of getting a job, yet somone who uses pot a few times is screwed... but don't get me started on legal issues relating to MJ...

I've read the handbook - great read.  Any other words of advice?  Am I wrong in thinking that even if I fail the drug questions on the poly test, the passed drug test will back me up?

I also have a polygraph test in the near future for a fire department. I have a friend that passed the polygraph test for this department who told the examiner he had sold marijauna in highschool. I am worried about two subjects, I smoked marijuana in high school and its been over 3 years since, and i have stolen some things throughout my life but none really recently. These are two things that i dont ever plan on doing again in my life. Are these things that could fail me from the process? What are acceptable amounts for these two subjects? I was also told by the friend to just be honest and those things wont fail me, is that good advice?

Great idea.  Get your pothead friends to lie for you.  That is if they can remember what you told them to lie about.  George, you really need to help this punk get a job with the DOD our country needs jerks like this.

Quote:


It doesn't matter what you "feel".  The fact of the matter is that what you do is illegal and you intend to lie about it, and ask your friends to lie for you,  so you can get a job with the DOD.  That says more about you than anything else.  Fire up another doobie man, after all it's all about how you feel - so feel good man.   

Ronald,

While I would love to avoid a didactic on the rights and wrongs of drug use, I believe I can state it best like this.  If alcohol were indeed outlawed the day of tomorrow, the solution for me is simple;  I WOULD STOP CONSUMING ALCOHOL  because it would be  ILLEGAL.  This is what people refer to as INTEGRITY.  

It is one thing for someone to fail/inconclusive a Poly and be innocent and then find this site and use the countermeasures to pass the test, but another for you to use them to hide your use of marijuana.  The difference being  someday, someone may just decide to black mail you based on their having proof of your drug use and you may just be dumb enough to give into it.  As you said, "it is a sweet job/interview"  and it probably pays way more than you have ever made. 

But I digress, and will get more to the point.  While pot may indeed be one of the least harmful recreational drugs, it is still illegal.  Recreational users like yourself live in this false little reality that you aren't hurting anyone but yourself (and some of you don't even say that much), but having worked in LE and specifically with gangs over the years I can tell you one thing that people like you help do.  You encourage gangs to sell, distribute and murder to increase their sales and profit, not to mention the extortion and use of children and teens to distribute their drugs.  

You may rationalize your drug use to make yourself feel better, but we aren't buying it.  

Well if the poly doesn't catch you, hopefully the UA will and if that doesn't, then lets just hope the BI is thorough enough and one of your friends, employers or associates lets your little secret out.

Ronnie, I agree with some points you have made but dimas is an idiot.  Before I begin, let me inform you that I do happen to smoke and I do love it as much as you.  However, this doesn't mean i believe in legalizing it.  You say that allowing the government to control the distribution of marijuana would reduce prices and gang-related violence.  And you use alcohol as your main comparison.  However, there is a difference between the two.  The reason that alcohol is so well managed in the united states is because it is very abundant and legal in every country.  Because of this many different types of alcohol are imported and this creates an increase in customer satisfaction.  Because of this abundance, there is no need to find alcohol on street corners, and therefore I agree with that.  However, the case with marijuana is a bit different.  The difference is that weed is limited in the united states and couldn't be imported from other countries because in almost every other country weed is outlawed.  I know its a naturally growing plant but eventually the demand would exceed the supply without the help from other countries.  Yes, the price would be significantly reduced but gangs would find ways to get weed from other countries and sell it at even lower prices.  So in reality gang-related violence would be still be in full effect, maybe reduced a little at the most.  This little difference in gang-related violence would not be worth the corruption that legal marijuana would bring about.  As many experienced people know, while one is under the influence of marijuana, there is a lack of motivation.  Do we want to weaken our work force by legalizing marijuana?  Do we want a bunch of demotivated lazy asses? I am not saying that you cannot perform your job 100 percent because you might smoke a little bud in your free time.  However, you dont represent all cases, and the worst case scenarios must be taken into consideration ( someone gets a goverment job who smokes all the time and is lazy but luckily has some intelligence ).  And I have no trouble in saying that a lot of these types of cases would evolve if marijuana was legalized because people would take advantage of this possibility.  It is a secure feeling to know that government employees are throughly examined.  If weed was legal, this website would be of no importance to you because you wouldn't have to worry about this question on a polly.  Do you want the leaders of our country to be possible stoners? who dont get work done? Imagine the work ethic that would be imposed on teenagers, or  young people, the future leaders of our generation.  It is proven that marijuana is a demotivator....and since you smoke Im sure as hell you know what I am talking about.  In order for our country to succeed, we need a strong work force like we currently have.  Plenty of detrimental substances are already in existance and the legalization of another wouldnt add anything positive to our country.  IF weed was legalized, then another plant or mind-altering substance would be in question.  So should we keep on legalizing these substances jsut because alcohol is legal?  Why not legalize cocaine and all the other drugs that create gang violence? becuase like I said, that would corrupt our society and just because marijuana is the safest receational drug doesnt make it right.  There are still a lot of unproven facts regarding marijuana....such as long term effects.  However, where I do agree with you, and completely disagree with dimas, is integrity with relationship to our legal system.  Your example with Saudi Arabia is just.  There are plenty of things that are illegal in America but legal in other countries.  The people in other countries who practice these habits are by no means depraved simply because the same thing in america is illegal.  By saying that integrity is based on our legal system, you might as well say you let a group of congressman determine what is morally right and what is morally wrong.  Our government consists of these congressmen, and thats who you are basing your integrity off of.  People just like the three of us.  Now do you realize why you are stupid?  Shit, I love weed, and im all about beating the system.  This doesn't change my argument for making marijuana legal, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes.  I agree with your friends who say the machine is gonna blow up because your looking into it way too much.  When the question comes up, u will naturally hesitate.  My advice is to just try to forget about it and go on with your life. Continue to smoke weed if that is what you do and when the question is asked try not to use your brain.  The test is obviously inaccurate if someone who has done nothing "bad" in their life can still fail the test and not get the job.  IT is apparent that the test has no scientific basis and that anyone can mess it up.  All i have to say is good luck when the time comes around and....
-smoke weed every dayyy

Brotha,

The beauty of this country is that people like you no matter how ignorant or dumb can freely call people like me an idiot.

However, before you go about insulting others let me say just one thing. PARAGRAPHS  Learn to use them, maybe if you hadn't been so busy smoking pot in school you would know what they are.

Ronald, while you did indeed make some good points, they are only good depending on what context a person is accepting them.

For example, you state the one regarding alcohol and how if it was made illegal the same gang violence would continue, but now people would be distributing alcohol illegally.  While I have no doubt that this is true, the problem there lies in people such as you and Brotha that fuel the crime by purchasing the illegal substance.   

I completely agree that both alcohol and tobacco are very harmful drugs.  I partake in neither, with the exception of a glass or wine here or there on a special occasion.  The kicker here is that wine has actually been found to be good for a human when used in moderation.  I believe they are called "polyphenols".   

All in all, it isn't until you have worked with children whose parents used drugs while they were pregnant and while the child was growing up that you will indeed begin to have a great dislike for drugs, alcohol included.

Crack babies grow up, Fetal alcohol children grow up, and they become adults who cannot function in society.   

But hey, the real problem with drugs is a lazy workforce, yeah thats it, real smart conclusion there brotha.

I've read this string, and am enjoying the debate.  

My position is probably a little long-winded, but I hope you’ll make the read.

Aside from the poly discussion (which I think we all agree that it's CRAP science), dimas IS RIGHT; if it's illegal, you don't do it, whether you agree w/the law or not.

Many yrs ago, I read the book, "Flight of the Intruder".  The novel is about a pilot, understanding the injustice of the war, breaks the political laws of the Vietnam War, and flies an unauthorized solo mission over Hanoi.  

The pilot becomes subject to court martial under the UCMJ.  He believes in his actions and is willing to stand by them, even at the risk of imprisonment or death.

The end of the book has a dialog from the Sr Officer (who has the greatest respect for the pilot and agrees the pilot's actions were righteous) who admonishes the pilot's actions, and will not tolerate the insubordination.  

The Sr Officer's dialog comes down to this: right or wrong, the law is the law.  WE ABIDE BY IT.  We have the right to challenge it by legal means.  If we disagree, we continue to abide, and we continue to challenge it for change.  

If we allowed our own individual beliefs to come before the law, our country would have met its demise at its beginnings through military coops; admirals or generals who believe that they can do a better job of running the country than our politicians can, would have taken action. However, due to the loyalty of our military to obey orders/laws (just or unjust) that come from our government, we remain united. 

We as civilians/citizens have the same obligation.