california hashish
Do i need to inform the military about a dismissed charge?
I was arrested for a marijuana related charge a year ago. Do i need to inform my navy recruiter about it If the entire case was thrown out of court and dismissed? I didnt receive any sort of probation or charges etc.
it was for a gram of hashish, i had my medical marijuana card at the time here in California.
*sidenote* I realize i wont be able to consume cannabis during the 6 years of my service, i’ve been sober off cannabis and tobbaco since the new years…
You have to disclose it. If it comes up later, you can be charged with fraudulent enlistment and will most likely receive an OTH (other-than-honorable) discharge, lose any benefits you might have been entitled to and be precluded from serving again.
You will most likely be in for some questioning at MEPS, but a dismissed pot charge alone is not generally an automatic DQ.
Nonetheless, since you held a medical marijuana card, they are not likely going to believe that you only smoked a couple of times–remember, the federal government doesn’t recognize the legality of medical marijuana and doesn’t care that you have a California card. You are going to be pegged as a habitual user, which again carries a degree of hassle with it once you go to MEPS. Not only that, but the fact that you have (or at least claimed to have) a condition warranting a medical marijuana card, is going to merit a thorough medical investigation. Any chronic medical condition raises a lot of red flags at MEPS, and many of them are automatically disqualifying.
So, depending on all the circumstances, you may or may not be allowed to enlist. I can’t guarantee either way. However, the price of lying by omission, and then being discovered later, is worse.
DON’T LEGALIZE MARIJUANA IN CALIFORNIA!
