Drug tests for work
 

My friend is freaking out, because he got a new job and they're requiring a drug test before he starts.
He has smoked pot twice in his life, once at Christmas and the other around Valentine's Day (lol I have no idea about the correlation between holidays and drug use with him but whatever :) )
Does anyone know how long it takes for marijuana to leave your system? I always thought it stayed in your hair for 6 months, and a few weeks in your urine.
Anyone? Anyone?

Re: Drug tests for work
 

http://www.marijuana.com/420/forumdisplay.php?f=26 will probably have all the resources your "friend" needs.

-Rudey
--Now if your friend was Marion Jones then I'd be worried because she'll be busted.

I have no idea about hair, but I think it can be revealed in a drug test for up to six weeks after use. He should be fine for a urine test if he hasn't smoked since Valentine's Day.

I just did a google search and found that hair follicle tests can find traces of drugs up to 90 days after the last use. Trace amount of drugs remain in the hair core and cannot be washed out. Hair grows at a rate of a half inch per month or 1-1/2 inch in 90 days. I'm not really sure how to interpret this information. Maybe he should buzz his hair super short.

Also, depending on the company, they might not care about marijuana. My friend's brother took a drug test and they found traces of marijuana, but they didn't care because they were looking for harder stuff, I think.

Hair often carries traces past 3 months. There are special shampoos and some people choose to get haircuts. Urine can be thinned out with certain substances but I believe they increase creatinine levels in the system at the same time,

-Rudey

Re: Re: Drug tests for work
 

LOL thanks for the insinuation, Rudith, but I'm allergic to it.

(Don't worry, our coke binge is still on for tomorrow!)

Re: Re: Re: Drug tests for work
 

You still carry a razor blade with you in your mouth right? I have a nice new mirror to use with it. I can't wait until it starts to snow in lincoln park.

-Rudey

The thing that your friend needs to find out is how far back is the company looking? If the marijuana stays in the hair for up to 90 days or whatever, but the company is only testing for drug use in the past 30 days, your friend will be fine. Granted, the company can hire or not hire him for whatever reason they feel like (assuming this is an employment at will situation), but he should be fine.

They did drug testing at the hospital where I used to work. They did a breathalyzer and a urine test....they send those out, so I think they are looking for recent things. It also brings out certain medications so if he's on anything he would need to tell them so they can rule certain things out.

Many places require drug screens these days but it's usually the urine screen (unless he's going for some highly secure type of job, pilot, police, fire, fbi, cia, etc). The hair screen ones are very expensive.

30 days is the standard. They aren't all that reliable though. If you smoke a lot, it stays in your system longer and the residual chemicals of marijuana are stored in fat, so if you're very overweight it may stay longer. We had a girl in treatment who admitted to smoking several joints one weekend and she tested clean that Monday. That was a real fluke, or, as we teased her, someone sold her some stuff that was fake, or she was "bragging" about her use to us to stay in treatment longer or something.

Dee

If your friend's new employer does do hair screening, he should be okay considering the fact that men usually get their hair cut pretty frequently. Now, if he has long hair, it might be detected. Hair screening takes about 25 pieces of hair and it is mounted onto a board so it can be measured. After determining the rate of hair growth (last time of haircut, etc), the examiner will measure your hair and be able to say which section of hair equals what month. (Think highlights and how they grow out). From then, the hair will be tested. Most places don't do this cause it is expensive and takes a lot of time. And if head hair isn't available, other hair (leg, pubic, armpit) can be used. But again, these types of hair don't get very long, so drug use months prior to the test won't really show up.

If he bleaches his hair, that's supposed to help remove any trace. And for the rest of his body, that nair for men stuff is pretty amazing. But it sounds like your "friend" is in the clear since it's been so long.

Ok really can we stop with the quotes? IT'S NOT ME. I don't think it's that big of a deal, and I'd admit it...
Anyway, it's a urine test. I keep telling him he'll be ok, from what I can tell it stays in your urine for about 30 days....we'll see...

LOL I like how I started it. Tell him to try out one of the million cocktails if he really is worried...they even sell some at GNC.

-Rudey

Golden Seal Tea, available at your local GNC.