Can I lie about weed on my life insurance application?

Up top, we’re going to say that lying on your life insurance application is just not a good idea. It may seem like a clever way to get lower rates and better coverage, but let’s not kid ourselves here. The consequences of doing something like that can range from simply having your application rejected to full-blown insurance fraud. So be careful. We want to stress that it’s highkey important to be as honest with the insurance company as possible. That includes drugs that you may be taking, recreationally or for medicinal purposes.

Do they drug test for life insurance policies?

Depends on which company you’re applying with. During underwriting, some insurers rely on your medical files that are on record. So any medical info that’s out there will be visible during that underwriting process. If a company requires a medical exam, then during that exam, yeah, you’re probably going to undergo some kinda drug test. Does life insurance test for weed? Well, it’s not a full-on life insurance exam drug test, per se, but it’s part of the overall snapshot taken that helps calculate risk. A standard medical exam might look at a urine and blood sample, in addition to your weight, height, blood pressure, etc., so if you’re on any drugs, they’ll show up. So if you’re asking yourself, “what level of THC do life insurance companies test for,” take a breath, because they don’t usually look for it specifically.

What drugs do life insurance companies look for?

Every insurance company is different, but they look for drugs that might point to any significant health risks. This means that they look at what the drugs are causing or addressing. In the case of addiction or substance abuse, companies may require that you be drug-free for a certain amount of time. You might have to be clean for months or even years before you can think about applying for a life insurance policy. Addiction is a serious risk to a person’s health, and even alcohol abuse can be a huge red flag for a company.

There’s a difference between drug abuse and other drug uses, though. Insurance companies also look at prescribed drugs such as addiction treatment drugs, painkillers, and marijuana, prescribed and recreational. These don’t instantly signal abuse, but they can point to other health risks insurers would prefer to know about. And marijuana especially, ‘cause if you smoke that good kush regularly, you may be given a smoker class rating. Life insurance rates for smoker vs. nonsmoker come with different monthly costs, so if you’re getting loud regularly, you may pay higher premiums.

Consequences of lying

As we said, there are consequences to lying on a life insurance application. If the lie is small, the consequences may be minor. Let’s say you lie about the occasional “‘icky sticky” smoke session. If the insurance company finds out, you may face higher monthly costs or be classified as a smoker. Or you may just not be approved for a policy. It’s not the worst thing, but we wouldn’t want you to lose out on a potential life insurance policy because you weren’t truthful about ripping a bong.

But losing a life insurance policy isn’t the worst-case scenario. Another hypothetical—you get a life insurance policy but you lied about regularly blazing up with your friends. Then, during the first two years of your policy, you die of lung cancer. Should the insurer find out the cause of death and see that you lied on your application, there’s a chance your beneficiaries may receive a significantly reduced payout, or they might not receive a payment at all. Life insurance is about protecting your loved ones, so don’t let a lie prevent them from seeing that protection.