Drug testing on FAA third class medical?

[Frank Johnson]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post here, so bare with me. I have been taking flight lessons at a local airport for a few months now, and I have just over 10 hours of flying so far. Just yesterday, my CFI told me I need to get a medical before I solo. My question is this: will I receive a drug test during said examination? Now I don't need a health lecture, but I have smoked marijuana recently (20 days ago) and I am wondering if this will be a problem. Any feedback would be great, and thanks in advance to all advice for my situation.
Thanks

 

[Jim Logajan]

I do not label anyone based on their use of pot.... Just don't be a pilot. It's illegal. I don't care one **** what you or anyone else thinks about pot. It's against the rules for pilots...period.

I just reviewed 61.15, 61.16, 91.17, and 91.19 (all the sections that seemed relevant) and could not find any regulation against using pot under any circumstances per se - just that the pilot not have been convicted of said use or "While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety...."

Assuming I didn't overlook some important regs or am terribly misunderstanding (both plausible - and I expect others will be helpful in pointing up my ignorance) I believe that strictly speaking:

If a pilot uses pot in private at home and a day or two later flies, that would appear to be valid within the strict reading of the regulations. I couldn't find a "yes" answer to any of the triggering conditions that the regulations spell out that would make that scenario a violation of the regs.

All that said, I've never understood the appeal of pot. I'm an oddity, though, having been a teetotaler till almost 30, at which time I fell in with a bad crowd: the University of Minnesota rabble known as the Society of Physics Students (circa mid 1980's.) I now enjoy the occasional wine or beer.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

I'm going to go ahead and assume, that the name is fake.

Even so, if the Feds really wanted to, they could use these statements on the forum to provide probable cause to obtain a warrant to access the records of this forum. With an IP address then go to the ISP and get pretty darn close.

Unless the OP used a VPN or TorBrowser or a coffee shop.

Unlikely they would go to the trouble unless given some other excuse. But there are serious legal risks in the current legal state where marijuana remains a federal crime even if not a state offense.

 

[PeterNSteinmetz]

Yes, it would, and read the potential penalties at the bottom of that form.

And the penalties for these kind of federal offenses tend to be ridiculously over the top.