#MarijuanaCharge #Legalization #CriminalRecord #CareerOpportunities #VirginiaLaw #BackgroundCheck #JobSearch #SecondChances
Hey there, I can totally understand how frustrating and unfair it must feel to have your life affected by a possession of marijuana charge from years ago, especially when marijuana is now legal in Virginia. It’s incredibly tough to see a small mistake overshadowing all your hard work and accomplishments. But fear not, there are steps you can take to address this issue and move forward with your life.
Here are a few things you can consider doing:
Understanding Virginia’s expungement laws
While it’s unfortunate that your possession charge cannot be removed from your record despite the legalization of marijuana, it’s important to have a clear understanding of Virginia’s expungement laws. Expungement is the process of sealing or destroying criminal records, and it’s crucial to know if there are any new provisions in the law that may apply to your situation.
Seeking legal assistance
Consulting with a knowledgeable attorney who specializes in criminal record expungement is a smart move. They can guide you through the legal process and help you explore any available options for clearing your record or mitigating the impact of your past charge on your career prospects.
Advocating for yourself
It’s admirable that you’ve worked hard and achieved a high level of education despite the challenges you’ve faced. Consider being transparent with potential employers about your past, emphasizing the steps you’ve taken to grow and learn from the experience. Many companies value honesty and integrity in their employees, and being open about your journey could potentially work in your favor.
Exploring alternative career paths
If you’re finding it difficult to secure traditional employment due to your criminal record, you might want to consider alternative career paths. Freelancing, entrepreneurship, and remote work opportunities are all viable options that can provide flexibility and independence while allowing you to build a successful career on your own terms.
Showcasing your skills and talents
Your academic achievements and skills in cybersecurity are incredibly valuable, and it’s essential to showcase them effectively. Consider creating a strong personal brand through a professional website, portfolio, or LinkedIn profile, demonstrating your expertise and passion for your field. Networking with professionals in the industry can also help you create new opportunities for career growth.
Seeking support and staying resilient
Facing the unfair consequences of a past mistake can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. It’s essential to seek support from friends, family, or even a counselor to help you navigate this challenging time. Remember that setbacks are not permanent, and your resilience and determination will ultimately lead you to success.
In conclusion, it’s tough to navigate the impact of a possession charge on your life, but there are ways to overcome the challenges and shape a positive future for yourself. Educating yourself on the legal options available, seeking professional guidance, advocating for yourself, exploring new career paths, showcasing your skills, and seeking support are all important steps in addressing this issue.
Remember, you are more than your past mistake, and with persistence and determination, you can carve out a fulfilling and successful career for yourself. Stay strong and keep pushing forward – you deserve a second chance. Good luck! 🌟
hop a train to NY where nobody cares unless you’re driving heavy machinery.
Sorry to hear this, you’re in a tough situation. I don’t have an answer for you. But it’s damn time that cannabis was legalized nationally, with all prior possession convictions expunged.
My current and last jobs only screened back 7 years for all positions. So in 2 years you should be good for the most part. Second is are you disclosing it upfront or saying nothing will pop up and they found out you didn’t tell the truth? I wouldn’t hold something like that against someone if they owned it and said they did something dumb in high-school. As almost all adults did. George Bush had a dui, Obama wrote about drug use in a book he wrote about his life. It’s very common.
Become a contractor or consultant and work for your own company. Contact out to other companies under your company, “mmj cyber security services” LLC.
Any possibility you can get your record expunged? Have you run this by a lawyer to see what your options are to get your record cleared.
there is a whole earth we are on, just get up and move dosnt sound ideal tho
Are you looking strictly at jobs in your home state? Remote in other states that have been legal longer (like CA or CO) might be a better fit. That said, spinning up your own company and being self-employed is an excellent workaround if you don’t mind the hustle (and after a client or two, you’ll probably get tons of jobs by word of mouth). What about finding a cybersecurity gig for a weed company or weed-adjacent company? Half the industry knows firsthand about weed charges (the other half is a buncha rich kids trying to get richer and probably won’t care either if you can help them do that).
I know it sucks though… you shouldn’t have to work this hard because of a damn plant. I wish you tons of luck.
The legal doctrine you want to research is called expungement. There is a process in the state of Virginia that allows a person who pled guilty to, or was convicted of a crime to receive the social credit of expungement. This enables law enforcement and district attorneys to see that you have a criminal record, but for the purposes of employment background checks, the expunged criminal history does not appear. This doctrine exists exactly for cases like yours. Take this matter into your hands fix your life good luck, not legal advice.
Get your record expunged? I think you have to wait for so many years before you can do this. I was a minor and go into some trouble at 17, several years later I paid an attorney to expunge my record. Everytime a application asks if Ive been in trouble with the law I mark no. Current employer did a background check through a company that does checks and I passed no issues. Worth looking into!
Sounds like you kinda realized the truth. You’ve even talked to lawyers. You’ll always be a “criminal” to a lot of people. It’s not right, but that doesn’t matter.
Do you disclose this prior to them running the bg check? I used to do some of the hiring for my old job. We always did a couple of interviews before doing the bg check to make sure we liked the candidate. One of the questions I asked was if they believed there would be anything we should know about that would come up on the bg check. Some things that came up we would discuss with the candidate to see if it was just something little (like with you) or possibly a red flag (my department handled large amounts of cash).
Even if they don’t ask, I’d maybe bring it up in the interview. I can’t imagine too many people being that concerned about a marijuana charge. Especially when places nearly always have you agree to random drug testing. And I do know a few people in that field….and actually that state also, now that I think of it… who absolutely used to smoke when they were teens. They just didn’t get a charge for it.
You might also try disclosing? I know when they drug tested my coworker, prior to being hired, he just said “fyi, I smoke weed” and they still hired him 🤷🏼♀️
You are being treated like a criminal because you are a person who committed a crime. Cyber security will always be a tough field for you with your record. Best bet is to start in an entry position and work upward. It’s a career field where they don’t take kindly to criminal records.
The problem in cybersecurity is a lot of cyber companies do deals with the federal government and don’t want to risk any contracts by hiring anyone with a drug conviction (as marijuana is still federally illegal).
Switch gears.
– It sounds like you’re aiming for larger companies. Unfortunately, like you said, they’re looking at this ‘baggage’ as something the other candidate doesn’t have. But this isn’t necessarily the *real* reason. They see it as a liability you bring to the table. These larger companies typically have boards they report to and other shareholders/stakeholders they are concerned about.
– I’d recommend you try to get in with Start-Ups.
Smaller companies in their growth stage or that’ve recently completed their final seed rounds are gold. Obviously this is a lot more legwork to find, but LinkedIn can be really helpful here. Depending on your skill set, there are a lot of opportunities you can almost create for yourself by just making yourself available to these younger companies.
Keep your head up.
– The stuff that happened when you were 18 is dumb. Society has dumb laws. We’re put into a dumb system and have to live in it. Our brains aren’t even fully developed until we’re in our mid-20’s, but our Justice system isn’t designed to account for that. None of that is your fault. It’s a plant. They need to grow up, unironically.
– You sound like you have a good head on your shoulders.
Just remember that employers are looking to maximize value and minimize liability. A lot of larger companies look at certain roles as numbers on a spreadsheet. You’re valuable and the right employer won’t care about a plant. As frustrating as the situation is – in the long run, the *right* employer is the one you want.
Move to Canada ?
All of this over a misdemeanor?
Sorry about the difficulty. I am curious if it would have been any different if you plead not guilty, but presumably in the end they had the evidence to convict… I guess maybe you could have plead some lower offense?
Get it expunged
I work with someone who’s been in prison for some stuff, been sued multiple times, and used to be in a very famous hacking group.
Because he’s a genius he’s worked for very well known companies and they know but don’t care about his history. Be so good at what you do that people don’t care.
Sorry, I’m confused, is this a felony charge? Why do companies care about misdemeanors?
Buddy what shit lawyer has not told you anything about sealing and expungement? If it is your one and only offense you can get it kicked off your record.
Man I’m really sorry this happened to you. I had a non drug related offense that almost ruined my career and the only reason I got out of it was because my family knew the right attorney.
My advice would maybe mot bring it up in the interview and pursue the seal and expungement.
Not sure about VA laws but here in CA you can get it expunged. And after 7 years you don’t have to mention it on applications anymore or be considered in your hiring process. But since it was 5 years ago for you I’d talk to a lawyer again. Did they give you the option to expunge it?
I have a criminal record from 8 years ago so I don’t have to disclose it on applications anymore, but two years after being convicted I was able to land a job. I was honest about it. Explained the situation and how I’d learned from it. I think a big part of it is how you explain it. Don’t displace blame, but also show how you’ve grown.
Move somewhere where they don’t care. Aka out west
Can u apply for a pardon?
File for a 1085 or 1084. Expungement, call a lawyer get that shit off your record, u can do a 1084 expungement yourself at the court house but u should talk to someone who knows law so u file the right popper work
Look for better employers. I have marijuana possession, drug paraphernalia and probation violation charges from when I was 18. I’m 27 now and have a similar degree and have worked a remote job paying $100k for the past 3 years. The company I work for didn’t care at all. It sucks you’re dealing with that, good luck
If it’s legal there now you should just pay a lawyer and have it expunged. Everything can be solved with money honey. It’s not worth it trying to interact with the law unless you have an attorney to fix it for you. Best use of money.
Don’t do drugs?
Find work in the cannabis or psychedelics industry. Not quite sure what they’d need with cyber security, but that’s why you can make six figures and I don’t.
Go to the court and at the front desk ask for a lab test.
I would move. California doesn’t allow discrimination against cannabis users whose convictions are 1) not a felony, and 2) not under two years old.
Insane to me man I’m sorry. Here in NYC something called the Fair Chance Act recently passed and is in effect for a lot of firms. Essentially splits out the background check so companies can’t pull an offer if a candidate comes back with certain non violent felonies or crimes.
I believe other states have taken a similar approach but I don’t know enough. Worth a look.
get the expungement start your own contract company ..
Try moving out of Virginia and go to big city where that’s more of a joke than a reason to not hire you
start your own business… no one needs to know.
I think you should search job out of US, Europe or Asia might work for you, once you build good work history you can settle again in Virginia. Good luck mate
No it won’t stop over reacting. Take a chill
that sucks OP – your in a tough spot, damned if you do & demand if you don’t. I only moved to the US 10 yrs ago, Im shocked by the, longevity, paranoia & stigma of minor criminal records. Employers using blanket back ground checks can led to good people being marginalized. Also the over policing & over prosecution of citizens for minor matters is rampant.
I get the broken window theory as it relates to crime – but there has to be compassion in a society & driving compliance by fear is never a good thing. Any interaction with the police or criminal justices system in the country is high risk.
Smaller companies, & only disclosing at the point of an offer may be the way to go.
Look up the new record clearing law that just passed in Virginia. Looks like you might be able to seal it come 2025. In the meantime, look at mom and pop places for work, small places that won’t do thorough background checks.
You’re viewed as a criminal because you are a convicted criminal.
That also wasnt the first and only time you had illegal wacky weed.
Accept responsibility, take that 15/hr desk help job and start building up.
Look for jobs at smaller companies (like 100-150 employees) Hiring managers aren’t as bound to corporate policy and likely more realistic.
a lot of people I have read about and spoke to seem to think that just because it’s legal now, that their decision to do something illegal at that point in time suddenly has no repercussions, deal with it bro.
Just to make sure you understand the point…. it ain’t about drugs or that you might be an addict lol.
It’s about the type of person that chooses to break the law, and is dumb enough to also get busted.
Sorry bro but your ass got weeded out (pun not intended)