I'm wondering about how interrogations are handled after the polygraph. Specifically, I have found myself concerned about a question regarding the sale of illegal drugs. In my youth, I got some extra marijuana for my friend, paid up front and let him pay me back. I believe that this is not really "sale" but I have a memory of an exchange of money that plagues me. Because of all the thought I have given this, I am concerned now that I will fail a polygraph. Two questions: Do you think that I am rationalizing or is this not a "sale of drugs"? And if I take a poly, answer "no" to the question and it shows something (I will not plan to use CMs) will my explanation likely be acceptable and not DQ me? Do they monitor you during interrogation/explanations and determine if you are telling all that concerns you? Or will they come away thinking that I was a drug dealer? Thanks.

pstr45mm,

Your one-time sale of marijuana to a friend, even if made at-cost, could indeed be characterized as a "sale of an illegal drug." Whether or not this would be considered grounds for disqualification by any particular agency, I don't know. I suspect it might be for some.

You need to understand that post-test interrogations are conducted after a subject's polygraph charts have already been scored "deception indicated" (that is, the subject has "failed" the "test"). (The CIA and NSA are exceptions to this general rule: applicants for employment with these agencies are routinely accused of "having problems" during their first polygraph session, regardless of what the polygraph charts say, and are brought back for one or more follow-up sessions.) The objective of the post-test interrogation is to get admissions, especially ones that might disqualify a candidate for employment.

If you are accused of "having problems" with a question about sale of illegal drugs, and then, during the post-test interrogation, divulge for the first time that you once sold drugs to a friend in the manner you described, you may very well be disqualified on the spot for lack of candor, even if your (presumably profitless) sale of marijuana to a friend might not have otherwise been automatic grounds for disqualification.

During any post-test interrogation, you won't be monitored via the polygraph instrument, but the polygrapher/interrogator will be observing both your verbal and non-verbal behavior. Examples of what they look for are provided in Chapter 4 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.

I'm not prepared to advise you regarding what you should or should not disclose. That's a difficult choice that you'll have to make for yourself.

But I do suggest that you go into the polygraph with the clear understanding that whether or not you choose to be completely candid with your polygrapher, your polygrapher is going to be less than candid with you. Polygraph "testing" is a pseudoscientific fraud that fundamentally depends on the polygrapher lying to and otherwise deceiving the person being "tested" about the nature of the procedure, as you will find explained in Chapter 3 of The Lie Behind the Lie Detector.