Second hand marijuana and drug tests

Pellaeon · November 2008

Hey guys, long time lurker here, first time posting. So I got this new job, it's my first professional job, so it's kind of a big deal to me, first big paycheck, real work, etc. It's conditional on passing a background check and medical exam though, including a drug and alcohol test.

Now, I've never really done any drugs in my life, smoking anything hurts my lungs too much and I have no desire to do any of that anyway, it's just not my thing. However, I went to visit some friends for a week, including a big Halloween party, and some of them like to smoke. For the most part they would smoke in other rooms, but I was around it somewhat, sometimes going in the room an hour or so later.

Also on Halloween night of course I was trying to watch over one of my friends who was pretty wasted and she went into the smoking room for a while, and I was probably in there for like 20 to 30 minutes. I'm not sure if they were smoking at the time but they had been a lot that night, and I could smell it pretty strong. Of course I was somewhat drunk myself so I wasn't thinking about how stupid it was to sit in there, or how long I was actually in there, but regardless there was definitely some exposure.

So I guess I am wondering whether I will test positive on a drug test, even though I never smoked any myself. I have no idea how they will be testing me, I took a test once for working at costco, and it was just a urine test, and I of course passed because I don't do drugs, but some of my friends are talking about possible hair tests. I don't know, I didn't even think about it because I don't smoke anything myself but there was obviously stuff in the air and I have no idea how that would affect me or what to do about it. I'd feel like a REAL dumbass if i missed the chance to get this job for something this stupid.

Monoxide · November 2008

Uh, you'll be fine. They look for specific amounts of THC in the bloodstream that indicate use, not just trace elements, in the event that there would be any in the first place.

and if you could fail a drug test for being in a room that people had smoked pot in at some point that night, anyone that has been to a concert would be unemployed

Thanatos · November 2008

Hair tests are generally reserved for jobs you'd need a security clearance for, or being a cop or working in a pharmacy. I'd be very surprised if it were a hair test. It's almost certainly a urine test.

It's possible that that much exposure can cause you to fail a test. It's not likely, but possible. However, there's not really anything you can do about it, other than drink a bunch of water between now and then.

Arasen · November 2008

I can't help ya too much but some of my friends used to smoke pretty regularly. I know one guy swore by drinking cranberry juice to help get it out of his system for a drug test. Another friend of mine drank water, lots of it, to the point when he went to his piss test they couldn't even identify it as urine. By the time they rescheduled his drug test it had been flushed out. Those are two things you could try if you're worried, but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along and answer your question better.

hank94jp · November 2008

It would be helpful to know when you have to take this drug test as that's a kinda big factor... I wouldn't be worried if I were you though. Being in a room people have smoked in up to an hour earlier won't make you fail a drug test. Hell, if you even smoked directly that night you'd probably still be fine. Since you don't smoke there aren't a bunch of cannabinoids floating around in your system, and a single indirect exposure to weed smoke won't register on a drug test.

pacbowl · November 2008

Malingering Layabout Scumbag wrote: »

Hair tests are generally reserved for jobs you'd need a security clearance for, or being a cop or working in a pharmacy. I'd be very surprised if it were a hair test. It's almost certainly a urine test.

I had to take a hair test when applying for Blockbuster Video back in '93ish. I guess it all depends on the company.

variant · November 2008

Most companies stick to urine, it's none of their business what you were doing when you were in high school.

You should be safe, even if you do have any THC in your system right now(from second hand smoke), it'll be gone by Monday.

TL DR · November 2008

You'll be fine. Hair tests are more expensive and all most employers care about is that you aren't high like right now, man. Even if you'd smoked a bowl to yourself, you'd likely be clean by Monday if you don't usually smoke. In order to fail a test from secondhand inhalation, you'd basically have to have been in a closet with 4 people all smoking for quite a while.

Just drink water the day of the test if you're concerned about it, take a vitamin for color, and piss a few times that morning.

Scrublet · November 2008

Just to clear up a couple of things in here.

THC metabolites are FAT-SOLUBLE. Drinking a ton of water does not appreciably help you get it out of your system. And as for the guy who recommended drinking a ton of water so it doesn't even show has urine...they test for that. It is possible to fool that with vitamin B and creatine but it's iffy and besides which illegal, and I'm not here to write a huge thing on the ways to try to pass a THC piss test.

However, for the OP...I can say 100% you are fine unless you had the hair test. I can't speak for the '93 Blockbuster guy but even security clearances don't use this test. The only people I know who do are casinos. When you take a drug test, they are generally urine tests called a 10/50-300. What that means is 10 drug battery, 50 ng/mL cutoff THC, 300 ng/mL cutoff for cocaine. However, this is only a preliminary test to weed out false positives. If you fail this test, they take your sample and run it against a more accurate (and more expensive) test. This one runs a 15 ng/mL cutoff.

To actually fail from secondhand smoke at the 50 ng/mL level you would have to be doing something like sitting in a closed closet with a guy while he baked for like an hour. Suffice it to say, the test has been shaped to make false positives and the whole "secondhand smoke" excuse ridiculous. All this being said, if you are at a party that gets busted for some reason and weed is around there can be negative consequences, so be careful.

rockmonkey · November 2008

no way that ONLY second hand exposure a few nights before would throw up any alarms on your test.

Also, my employer does an oral test. You stick this thing that looks vaguely like a toothbrush between your teeth and cheek and bite down and keep it in your mouth for like 5 minutes and then they seal it up in a tube and mail it away.

Sarcastro · November 2008

Anything more than a day later and you should be fine- chronic use results in a little bit being passed each time, secondhand or even mild singular use would wash out the next day. You might have traces, but I doubt you'd pass any threshold alarms.

Thanatos · November 2008

rockmonkey wrote: »

no way that ONLY second hand exposure a few nights before would throw up any alarms on your test.

Also, my employer does an oral test. You stick this thing that looks vaguely like a toothbrush between your teeth and cheek and bite down and keep it in your mouth for like 5 minutes and then they seal it up in a tube and mail it away.

That's the test for companies that just want to say "we drug test."

The swab test won't catch shit.

And for everyone saying "there's no way you get a positive off of that:" the fact is that this sort of testing is very inaccurate, and can differ from person to person a lot, depending on how your body metabolizes cannaboids. Whereas one person might be able to pass it in spite of being a regular smoker, another person would just have to be around it for awhile (like locked in a room with it for half an hour) in order to test positive. Again, it's not likely, but it's possible.

NotYou · November 2008

I've known people who passed after smoking a joint the week before the test. Dont stress, you are in the clear.

Monoxide · November 2008

Malingering Layabout Scumbag wrote: »

And for everyone saying "there's no way you get a positive off of that:" the fact is that this sort of testing is very inaccurate, and can differ from person to person a lot, depending on how your body metabolizes cannaboids. Whereas one person might be able to pass it in spite of being a regular smoker, another person would just have to be around it for awhile (like locked in a room with it for half an hour) in order to test positive. Again, it's not likely, but it's possible.

Maybe, but really, what's he going to do?

He has a drug test scheduled for a job.

You can't say "Can I take it later, after this potential contact marijuana has left my system?"

The only actual advice anyone can give him, besides anecdotal evidence that he won't test positive, is to stay away from any smoke until the day of his drug test. Which should be obvious if he's worried about it.

Thanatos · November 2008

Monoxide wrote: »

Malingering Layabout Scumbag wrote: »

And for everyone saying "there's no way you get a positive off of that:" the fact is that this sort of testing is very inaccurate, and can differ from person to person a lot, depending on how your body metabolizes cannaboids. Whereas one person might be able to pass it in spite of being a regular smoker, another person would just have to be around it for awhile (like locked in a room with it for half an hour) in order to test positive. Again, it's not likely, but it's possible.

Maybe, but really, what's he going to do?

He has a drug test scheduled for a job.

You can't say "Can I take it later, after this potential contact marijuana has left my system?"

The only actual advice anyone can give him, besides anecdotal evidence that he won't test positive, is to stay away from any smoke until the day of his drug test. Which should be obvious if he's worried about it.

Yup.

Penny Arcade

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