According to this article, http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-08-01-fbi_N.htm, the FBI and Police 'loosened' their policy with respect to marijuana use.

Bearing this in mind, if a person used marijuana 2 or 3 times when they were young, should they confess in the sf86 and polygraph or not?  Many posters say 'don't confess', but this article states if it is experimental it will be forgiven.  Is it a lie to get people to confess?

By the way, if the point of a polygraph if for a person to confess, no one will will pass any polygraph test and noone will be hired in any agency.

When you apply answer all questions truthfully.  If your past behavior disqualifies you then choose a different career.  If the polygraph examiner incorrectly concludes you are lying then apply at another agency and tell the truth on that application as well.

[font=Arial][/font]I sort of found this site by accident and have so far enjoyed its points of view. In response to this thread I can only offer my experiences with the exam and its results. Keep in mind my exams took place in the mid 80's where the atmosphere for "pot use" was not as relaxed as it is today.

I was examined by the FBI for a top secret clearance to be allowed to be a uniformed ceremonial guard at the White House while in the military. I was 19 at the time and asked about marijuana use. I told them I had experimented with it a few times in the pre-interview and when asked while wired up about my use in a number form I responded yes until the number exceeded what I thought reasonable then responded no. I was a young man then, college drop out, at the end of my rope before the military....What do you think my use was?
I later went on to be within arms length of 3 sitting presidents including the current one. 

Later I was examined again by a police agency and in the pre-interview the guy had me admit to all sorts of juvenile crimes and marijuana use. Again the same questions were asked and I used the same responses. I recently retired from that department.

I do not fully discredit the polygraph nor do I fully support it as in my case it obviously didn't work. What I do know is that if you are comfortable with your answer in your mind as well as physically then your answers won't really reflect on the results. 

As a person who has served on many review boards I can say admitted "experimentation" with marijuana will not get you disqualified, deception about it will.

polytek wrote on Aug 18^th, 2008 at 12:56pm:


I'd rather lobby for Satan than the APA.  Hell, I'd sooner talk up childhood leukemia than that hive of scum and villainy.