I detailed how I used to smoke weed in my security clearance forms. Will past drug use like this necessarily bar me from getting security clearances?
I detailed how I smoked weed for a period of two years in my security clearance questionnaire, figuring it would be WAY better to be honest about it than lie and have some federal agent discover that I had smoked dozens of times with friends 2 and 3 years ago.
I took a urine test a few days back and it came back clean of course, cause I haven't smoked in years, but I am still worried how this information will affect me. Or if it will affect me at all. I also mentioned that I bought weed from a personal friend and how I only purchased it for myself and immediately took it home and kept it in a locked box. I stopped smoking two years back when I decided I would try to work in the Defense sector, and three weeks ago I was hired at one of the largest defense contractors in the world as an electrical engineer, but my job requires a secret clearance. This position will pay off my student loans in, like, 6 months. It's a crazy good position and I would hate to see me being honest about past behavior which I no longer engage in keeping me from pursuing my career at this firm.
Posted Feb 1, 2019, 11:26 PM UTC
It is much better to admit it now on the form then to fail a polygraph in 10 years when you’re trying to get sci clearence. If you have used frequently in the past when you’re young, and don’t now, you’ll be fine.
Polygraphs are pseudoscientific nonsense that mean nothing. there’s no reason he should have incriminated himself, but it’s water under the bridge now.
Government still does them, whether or not you believe them to be valuable.
There is no scientific (ie. reproducible) method to detect deception. Polygraphs are used as an intimidation tool. My hope is that proper education will eventually phase out the practice entirely.
As an intimidation tool it's fine for the security clearances. They want to know if there is anything another entity could use to blackmail you into divulging classified info or turning against the government.
Tell that to the nsa during your interview. See if you get the job.
Not disclosing actions like that is an easy way to get yourself 10 years for perjury after the interview, and they find out about it in some other way (like when they interview friends, family and coworkers)
I agree with you about it being important to disclose such stuff but at least in my case, I didn't need to take a polygraph for my TS/SCI clearance. Just small correction.
It'll still bite you in the ass regardless because you'd need to disclose it when they do the face to face interview, and if you don't then it's perjury.