Having records sealed/expunged...

I am a 25 year old resident of Virginia (home of tobacco and very a conservative court system). I have two drug charges (dist of marijuana, <1/2 oz. by accomodation & possession of marijuana, <1gram). both of these charges are now 4+years old (I was 19 and 21) and now that I'm a little older, the whole concept of having a permanent criminal record is really infuriating. Both of these are misdemeanor charges. I have been employed steadily (thank god), and have held a number of supervisory/management positions, most of which I had to work up to from and entry level position. I have never held a job less than 18 months. I have a decent resume and a plethora of excellent references, but I have problems finding jobs (AT RETAIL STORES). I'm a chemical engineering major at a local college, but at this point I'm really starting to wonder if anyone's going to hire me once I get out of college. There are a lot of ChmEng jobs that require security clearances, background checks, etc, none of which I can feasibly pass with these charges looming in the background. Can I have these charges sealed/expunged/overlooked/something? Am I to pay for the mistakes of my youth for the rest of my life? I'm in the process of finding a new job now (due to the fact that my place of work for the past 30 months is closing). It's horribly frustrating. Everywhere I go people are hiring, but not people with anything other than traffic offenses. GRANTED-- I have not applied at any fast food places, but pizza hut was my first job. I spent two years in that hole, and I promised myself I'd never work in food service again (not to mention the food service industry led me down the path that landed me in this mess, but that's another story all together). ANYWAY, I am seeking sound legal advice (preferably Virginia-specific) in regards to having records sealed or expunged. I want to know if this is going to haunt me forever. Any and all help is much appreciated.

[randalljd]

Hi: You may as a first step call the clerk of the court that was involved to see if it is possible to have it sealed, expunged, cleared, pardoned, etc. The clerk will normally know, and will often help direct you if it is indeed possible. Let us know if you have any problems.

Thanks a lot, will do