Applying at County level in WA State

[ojsmoothy]

 On my application for Thurston County it asks if I have used or sold illegal drugs in the last 3 years. I smoked pot, EXPERIMENTALLY, July 4th, 2003. So it has been over two years but not three. I am only 21 so would this be viewed as a juvenile mistake? I would prefer to be totally honest, what I also am wondering is if I marked yes would it automatically dq me from the testing process?

[polyscam]

ojsmoothy,

Without seeing the application or knowing the agency's standards for hire it is hard to say.  Going from my own experiences, you are probably not currently eligible for hire due to the recentness of your marijuana use.  If you mark your application honestly most likely you will get the boot.  If you wait another year and mark your application honestly you probably won't get the boot.  Take a year to mentally prepare yourself and enhance your level of fitness and then apply.  I would strongly advise against submitting false information (lying).

Another idea and a quite simple one:  call the Thurston County agency and speak with the hiring department.  They will be able to accurately fill you in on their requirements.  You most likely will be able to remain annonymous at the time of the call.

[dimas]

ojsmoothy,

I am assuming that you are applying for a job in LE and not as a clerk so this is what I am basing my response off of.

Smoking a drug at age 19 is NOT a juvenile mistake, in fact it would have to have been at age 17 or younger for you to claim it was a juvenile mistake.  Fact of the matter is that you knowingly used a controlled substance as an ADULT.  

Most departments will usually emphasize a 3-5 year lapse of time since the last use of a drug like marijuana.  I agree with Brandon that you will more than likely get the boot since your use was so recent.

Do not lie on the application about this, just go ahead and wait a year.  The best advice was given to you in that you should contact the dept. and find out.