When it comes to drug testing, it sometimes seems as if there is more misinformation floating around online than legitimate facts. There are plenty of people and businesses claiming to know the secret to passing a drug test, but is there any truth to what they claim? The expert mobile collectors here at Workplace Safety Screenings encounter new rumors about drug testing methodology and cheats all the time. Let’s take a moment to dispel some of the more popular ones:

Myth #1: All drug tests are urine tests.

Fact: WSS utilizes multiple testing methods for drugs and alcohol.

Urine tests are the most common form of drug screening. The standard 5 panel drug screening urine test is routinely relied upon by private employers and government agencies. This test screens for the five most commonly abused substances: THC, cocaine, amphetamines/methamphetamines, opiates, and PCP.

However, there are more than one way to test for drugs and alcohol. Hair tests and oral fluid tests can also determine a person’s drug and alcohol history. Both of these tests can be performed by WSS in addition to urine tests. Blood tests are also sometimes used as drug screenings by doctors and other professionals.

Myth #2: Drinking a lot of water can help you pass a urine test.

Fact: Water cannot erase the presence of a drug in your urine.

While it is possible that consuming lots of water, cranberry juice, pickle juice, or other beverages in the days before a drug test can slightly dilute your sample, your drug history will still be detectable by WSS collectors. To ensure proper results, all samples have a Creatinine level determined to evaluate whether the sample is too diluted to provide a valid test result. If a urine sample appears to be diluted, it is likely that WSS will run additional tests to make sure that accurate results are obtained.

Myth #3: Exposure to second-hand marijuana smoke (THC) can cause a positive test result.

Fact: It is practically impossible for second-hand marijuana smoke to cause a false positive test.

Passive exposure to a drug such as marijuana smoke can make it appear in your urine, but actual consumption of the drug makes it appear at a much higher concentration. To avoid the argument that a positive result is due to passive contact, cut-off levels have been established. These cut-off levels are set to make it virtually impossible for a specimen to screen positive from passive contact.

Myth #4: Working out cleanses your body of drugs.

Fact: Simply working out cannot completely cleanse your body of any drug.

While sticking to a strict diet of water and exercise for a month before your test could slightly alter your results, a quick trip to the gym the morning of a surprise test will do nothing to help your chances of passing.

Despite being comparatively safer than other drugs and demonstrating well-researched medicinal properties, cannabis is still surrounded by social stigma. This negative public image was born out of propaganda crusades that took place in the early 20th century to smear the herb in the name of competition, profit, and ignorance. Although many countries are paving the way to legalisation and social acceptance, many more continue to enforce prohibition. These laws fly in the face of science and cause trickle-down judgement within society as a whole.

A CULTURE OF DRUG TESTING

This judgement has made its way into the rules of regulations of many workplaces, causing employers to test their staff for drug use. Rather hypocritically, many employers accept alcohol use, a drug proven to be highly dangerous, yet will not tolerate cannabis use. This means that both recreational and medicinal cannabis users risk losing their jobs and damaging their career if they make the sovereign adult decision to partake in the herb.

For some people, smoking cannabis is a recreational ritual that comforts the soul and greatly enhances social engagement and the creative process. For others, it is a daily requirement to fend off symptoms of anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and even epilepsy. As such, many individuals use cannabis regardless of the rules in effect at their workplace.

INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF PASSING A DRUG TEST

Regardless of your reasons for smoking weed, if your employer conducts routine or even last minute drug tests, there are ways to improve your chances of passing them. Even if you have invited THC into your bloodstream fairly recently, detox drinks are an effective way of ridding these molecules from your system before work gets the chance to bust you for it.

Various different drug screening methods can detect THC use, such as hair samples, blood samples, and urine samples. Chances are that your workplace will most likely elect to test urine samples. THC metabolites can stay in the body for varying amounts of time, with factors such as the potency of the weed, metabolism, and the amount of weed smoked contributing to overall duration.

When it comes to urine samples, an infrequent user will test positive on a drug test up to four days after last smoking the herb. A frequent user will test positive up to 10 days after, and a heavy user can show up positive anywhere between 1–2 months after last smoking. Detox drinks serve as a tool to reduce these timeframes.

LEMON JUICE

Lemon juice has been proposed as a detox drink in general. Many health gurus and fitness preachers espouse its effectiveness in cleansing the body and shifting toxins. Some experts are unsure whether lemon really has strong detoxing properties, but the citrus fruit does contain hefty amounts of vitamins nonetheless.

It is reported that lemon juice has the ability to flush THC metabolites out of the system in surprisingly small quantities. It is advised to mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with 500ml of water, which should be sipped frequently over the course of several hours. The goal here is to drink this mixture around 7–8 times over a few days before a drug screening. If you’ve been hitting the vape pretty hard recently, be sure to carry a bottle of this mixture around with you to ensure you consume enough.

CRANBERRY JUICE

Lots of juice, fruits, and fluids. This drug test passing business is seeming pretty healthy right? Next on our list is the slightly tart but equally delicious option of cranberry juice. Cranberry juice is perhaps one of the most widely suggested options when it comes to a THC detox. The science behind this option isn’t exactly clear, but it seems to derive from anecdotal success and experimentation.

However, cranberry juice for general detoxing has been suggested by alternative doctors and naturopaths. A mixture of cranberry juice and water is reported to flush the kidneys, lymphatic system, and intestines of toxins, and may provide results within a single week. A mix of cranberry juice, water, electrolytes, and B-vitamin complex will help to dilute your urine and really get bladder momentum going.

DETOX PRODUCTS

Cannabis detox has become such a topic of interest for smokers looking to remove THC and its metabolites from their bodies that an entire market of detox products has emerged. Many different brands offer potions and formulations containing substances that are reported to assist the body in the removal of cannabinoids. Products ranging from pills and capsules to drinks and teas are all advertised to fulfil this purpose with active ingredients that work to minimise fat metabolism for a short period of time. Or, they work as diuretics to increase the amount of water expelled from the body. These products are certainly an option worth considering if you have a drug test on the horizon. However, it is advised that you do your research and find out just how effective the ingredients are when it comes to your situation.