I've Searched, I promise...

[limeade]

But I can't find the answer to my question. I will start by saying this, please don't come at me with hostility or anything like that, I'm not a jackass, however, I do know that you get a lot of them in here. "I used to be a drug runner for a Mexican gang, can I be a cop?" lol, I know its gets annoying, so sorry in advance.

Ever sense I've wanted to be a police officer, I've been really cautious about what I do, who I hand out with, and the situations I get myself into.... well that and the fact that my mom would have beat my *** if she found out I was doing anything bad.

Unfortunately I started to recount my childhood and see if there was anything that would affect my possibility's of being a officer.

I thought real hard, and figured out that once when I was 13 I smoked a joint. And then twice more I took a "hit" off of one sometime around 15/16. I listed how much I did so I could paint a picture, I say this because I know someone will come in here and go "it doesn't matter if you took one puff, smoked a whole pound" I know this, so again I'm looking for no cookie points.

Heres the problem, one time when I was 16 I took half of a pill, I have no idea what it was. I didn't buy it, and it wasn't a hallucinogenic, my guess was it was some sort of muscle relaxer, or codeine.

For God knows what reason, I just remembered this. Whats really sad is, my friend gave it to me, and I palmed it so I didn't have to take it. Then I got home, found it 2 days later, and almost through it away, but being a dumb ***, I broke it in half and took a small piece.

I feel so dumb now, as if I wasn't already dealing with enough problems about my career choices, now I have this to worry about. So what do you guys think? Am I a automatic DQ? Also I am 21, and I would be applying after I go graduate in 2 years, or maybe 4 years if I go for my MBA.

If you have jokes to make, please don't.


P.S. thanks in advance guys, I know you get a lot of this stuff, and I'm really embarrassed that I'm here in the first place asking. Thanks for anytime you took out of your day to read my long error filled post, and for writing an answer.

[Babysmamadrama]

I don't foresee a problem with your history, the weed smoking was no worse than mine. Just be completely honest with interviewers and investigators and you should be just fine. They may ask you what type of effects the narcotic had on you and will ultimately have to make a judgement call on your veracity but they will take in the whole picture before a judgement.

Good luck.

[gabe a.]

Limeade, you are going to have to try and remember exactly what you took, because any department that hears you say, "I don't know what it was" is going to think your trying to hide something and assume the worst, as in ecstacy, lsd or a drug of the like.

[limeade]

Thanks, I wll try, I pretty sure it was like a cough surpresent with codeine, not sure if thats spelled right. I did nothing to me at all. I say this, because his mom was a nurse, and I know it wasn't an illegal drug, well it was because it wasn't supposed to be for me, but what I am saying is, I think it was just a simple perscription cold pill.

[Unit19]

One good thing is you are owning up to the situation and not making excuses. That will go a long way. Some departments are more strict on certain things so you might have to talk to the recruiter at the departments you are interested in.

Just keep clean so they know it was a one time "YOUNG" bad judgement call. I think you are going to be fine. Good luck in the process.

[scott715us]

Most of the drug expirementation was during your teen years, which is basically the "experimenting" phase. Many depts will tolerate a certain amount of drug use (particularly marijuana). It's the harder drugs that can cause you some problems.

From the information given, I didn't see anything that could be an auto DQ'er.

[mcsap]

Honesty, responsibility, remorse and time can go a long way to overshadow one's misdeeds in the past. I detected this from your post. Keep doing what you are doing and you should be fine.