Small lie on a gov't form

[datritle]

Please help with this. The person I am posting for is recently was hired, and as part of the training/ post hire stuff, he must complete federal clearance forms. They apparently ask everything from where you’ve lived, gone to school, criminal history, and so forth. One question on the form is, “have you used drugs illegally in the past year?” This person stopped using marijuana about a year ago, BUT through a minor slip up, took a SMALL amount in the form of a tincture (drop or two of thc oil). He said he did not even have remotely enough to get high and he felt terrible and confessed it the next day anyway. Should he really risk a great job by disclosing this one tiny and spur of the moment slip up? He is really struggling with this. Please help. Thanks everyone.

 

[GEddie]

Please help with this. The person I am posting for is recently was hired, and as part of the training/ post hire stuff, he must complete federal clearance forms. They apparently ask everything from where you’ve lived, gone to school, criminal history, and so forth. One question on the form is, “have you used drugs illegally in the past year?” This person stopped using marijuana about a year ago, BUT through a minor slip up, took a SMALL amount in the form of a tincture (drop or two of thc oil). He said he did not even have remotely enough to get high and he felt terrible and confessed it the next day anyway. Should he really risk a great job by disclosing this one tiny and spur of the moment slip up? He is really struggling with this. Please help. Thanks everyone.

What do you mean by a slip-up?

Methinks his confessor is the only one he should ask this question to.

Lying to Caesar is normally not a good idea.

ICXC NIKA.

 

[DaveBj]

Lying on a form like this can be a federal crime. At the very least it can cause the person to lose his/her job (or be excluded from consideration for being hired).

 

[Trigonometric]

With a lot of these jobs, full disclosure is more important than a clean record. LE agencies in particular are very good at detecting small lies on the form (through interviews later), and that would be a worse red flag than having a criminal record.

 

[Mary2014]

I think that using marijuana once and immediately regretting it does not qualify one as a drug user. Jesus preached against that kind of legalism.

But if your friend wants to keep his conscience clear, just write (once) in parentheses next to the checkbox.

 

[maryjk]

Lying on a form like this can be a federal crime. At the very least it can cause the person to lose his/her job (or be excluded from consideration for being hired).

I am betting that at the end of this form, there is a statement. I am betting it says something like this:

I certify that the above information is true. (Then it says something about it being a federal crime to lie on the form.)

And then there is a signature.

So, it is best not to lie.

 

[Holly3278]

He should have been honest in all of the questions, especially in a matter as serious as getting a government job.