Fears about passing a drug test are an unpleasant reality for pot smokers. When faced with the possibility, the first thing most people want to know is just how long weed stays in your system. Since it’s different for everyone, don’t trust anyone who says they can give you a definitive answer. But here are some facts about passing a drug test that will help give you an idea.

Urine Drug Test Detection Times

There’s a lot of outdated information on the Internet about how long THC metabolites can be detected in urine. At one time it was thought that they could be detected for as long as 90 days, but more recent information has shown that it’s actually much less than that.

Today it’s accepted that the detection period for marijuana in urine ranges from a few days to about 6 weeks. A few days if you’re an infrequent user, and up to 6 weeks if you’re a regular user. Passing a drug test when you have to give a urine sample can be problematic for two reasons: one, because it has the longest detection time, and two, because urine tests are the most common type administered.

The actual length of time weed will show up in your urine can vary widely, depending on factors like how often you smoke, the grade of bud you smoke, your individual metabolism, and your body fat percentage. For example, if you have a relatively fast metabolism and you only smoke once a month, passing a drug test naturally is possible within a few days. But if you’re a heavy smoker with a slower metabolism, expect it to realistically take anywhere from 4-6 weeks.

Passing Other Types Of Marijuana Drug Tests Besides Urine

Blood tests have a relatively short detection time for pot, at just 2-3 days for infrequent users and up to 2 weeks for regular users. And saliva tests have the shortest detection time of all, ranging from 24-hours to 1 week (with the norm being somewhere around 2-3 days).

Hair follicle tests can detect all types of drugs, but typically a hair test will only examine 90 days of prior history. There are several hair products on the market for passing a drug test, all of which have questionable reliability rates. However, the good news is that THC evidence tends to be weaker than other drug classes. Which means that you probably can’t cover up any other drug use, but you might have a chance if all you do is smoke pot.

What About Passing A Drug Test For Other Toxins?

Most recreational drugs are out of your system in less than a week, and after that they don’t show up in blood, saliva or urine tests. Barbiturates are kind of a wild card, because their detection times can vary depending on the particular drug and how long you’ve been taking it. Some are a few days, and some are a few weeks. So if you’re in the habit of using un-prescribed barbiturates, you’ll need to get on the Internet and look for specific information about the particular drug by name.

Is Passing A Drug Test Even Possible If You Have THC In Your System?

Fortunately, the overwhelming majority of drug tests administered are for either urine or saliva, both of which are entirely possible to pass. You’ll find plenty of information about passing a drug test on this website.

But if you’re wondering whether or not you might be clean already, you’re not going to find the answer on the Internet. Go to a pharmacy and buy a single-panel drug test strip, and administer it to yourself at home. Passing a drug test is too important, and that’s the only way you’re going to find out for sure exactly where you stand.

What Is A DOT Drug Test?

For those who may not know, DOT stands for ‘Department of Transportation’. People who have to take a DOT drug test include anyone who drives a large truck or bus for a living, and any workers who are remotely involved with those vehicles – which is basically anyone in the same company.

A federal agency called the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has about a hundred pages of regulations that both employers and labs have to follow when administering DOT drug tests. But fortunately, most of those regulations cover details about the paperwork that has to be done. The drug tests themselves are basically carried out just like they are for any other employer. Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them seriously – it just means that you don’t have any extra cause for concern just because you’re taking a DOT drug test as opposed to any other kind.

Does The Dilution Method Work For DOT Drug Tests?

Since the FMCSA requires that a DOT drug test be a urinalysis, then yes, dilution will work fine. At least, it will be if you happen to be a pot smoker.

You’ll be given a standard 5-panel test that looks for other toxins as well, so if you do more than just smoke pot you’ll need to be aware of their detection periods and plan accordingly. For most other drugs besides weed, detection periods are measured in days, not weeks. THC cannabanoids are kind of in a class by themselves because of the way they’re stored in the body (in your fat cells), which is why marijuana use can be detected so much longer than other drugs.

What’s The Best Way To Pass A DOT Drug Test?

Federal regulations require that a lab tech observes you while you’re giving your specimen, so substitution is pretty much impossible, whether it’s a powdered urine kit or a friend’s clean pee. And you should definitely never even attempt to use synthetic urine, just because labs have too many ways to detect that now.

So if substitution isn’t an option (it isn’t for most people, in any situation), that leaves dilution as your only real option. But it’s what I generally recommend to anyone taking a piss test anyway, because when you do it right you’re genuinely able to give a clean specimen right on the spot, without all the stress of trying to use substitution without getting caught.

In any situation where you know your test will be unsupervised, substitution (with something besides synthetic urine) is a guaranteed pass, so in that case you should go for it. But in the case of a DOT drug test, or anytime you think you’ll be observed, dilution is a really close second as far as reliability goes.

read the full article

Prepaid Visa or MasterCard Gift Cards

You may have seen these hundreds of times and just walked right past them. Lots of stores (grocery stores, drug stores, Wal-Mart, etc.) sell all kinds of pre-paid gift cards, including MasterCard and Visa gift cards. I think the lowest card amount you can buy is $25, plus you get charged another $5 for the card itself (I guess they figure that’s what it costs for a credit card sized piece of plastic).

You can use the card literally anywhere that takes credit cards, which is pretty much everywhere. You don’t have to spend it all in one place; the unused amount just stays on the card for a future use.

And once you buy the card you can add more money to it later if you want (called ‘re-loading’), but since I’ve never used one of these I’m not exactly sure how it’s done. But I’m guessing it’s a lot like the procedure for adding money to a GreenDot card (see below).

To locate a store near you that sells pre-paid Visa or MasterCard gift cards, go to this website and enter your zip code:
https://www.allaccessgift.com/gift/index.m

GreenDot Cards

I’ve used GreenDot cards before, so I know a little more about these. You can buy them in all kinds of stores: Wal-Mart, Rite-Aid, CVS, Walgreens, RadioShack, a ton of grocery stores, and probably lots more places I’ve never even heard of.

GreenDot cards work basically the same as pre-paid MasterCard and Visa gift cards. They’ve got a MasterCard logo on them, so you can use them any place that takes M/C.

It costs $9.95 to buy the card itself, not including the amount you want to put on the card for spending. But if you can’t get a regular credit card for whatever reason, then it’s probably not a bad investment anyway. You can add money to it whenever you want, and for all intents and purposes it’s a real credit card as far as anyone else knows.

Here’s what you do:

1. Go to the GreenDot website, put in your zip code and find a store near you that sells the cards: http://www.greendotonline.com
2. When you walk in the store, look for the kiosk where they sell all their gift cards, etc. There are two different GreenDot packets you’ll see hanging there. One says ‘Prepaid MasterCard’ and one says ‘MoneyPak.’ You want the one that says ‘Prepaid MasterCard.’
3. You’ll pay $9.95 for a temporary card (you get the real one in the mail later), and on top of that you have to spend a minimum of $25 to ‘load’ the card. (Be sure to ask the cashier if the card is ‘activated’, in case they forget to do this!). Then, when you get to a computer, go to the GreenDot website. Create an account, and then activate the card. (When you open up the the little card package you’ll see the activation number inside, in small print).
4. Once you finish the activation process, on the screen you’ll see a card number, expiration date, and CSV number. WRITE THESE NUMBERS DOWN RIGHT AWAY. If you don’t have EACH of these sets of numbers, then you’ll have to wait for your credit card to arrive in the mail before you can order anything over the Internet. You’ll receive an actual card in the mail about ten days later, but as long as you’ve got those numbers you can use it right away for online purchases.

Re-Loading Your GreenDot Card:

If you spend all the money in your GreenDot account and you want to add more money to it, this is called ‘re-loading’ your card.

To re-load your GreenDot card, go to a store that sells their products and buy what’s called a ‘MoneyPak’. MoneyPaks cost $4.95, PLUS however much money you want to put on the card (I think re-loading also requires a $25 minimum). Then, go to the GreenDot website, login to the account that you created when you originally signed up, follow the directions and enter the 16-digit number that you’ll find on your MoneyPak.

To find out where to buy GreenDot cards and MoneyPaks near you, use the store locator on their website: http://www.greendotonline.com

Sounds simple doesn’t it? While the test itself might be simple, the factors and worries behind it are not. In California, drug rehab centers are concerned these new tests might cause a rash of unnecessary calls to the centers among many other family problems and complications.

The Moral Conflict

Many inpatient drug rehab programs feel that if things have gotten to the point that parents are going to take a hair sample for drug testing, it is time to sit and talk with their kids and look for other possible signs of drug abuse. For them, giving your child a drug test without their knowledge brings up questions in terms of trust and betrayal.

The biggest concern is that the focus of talking to kids for the purpose of prevention will be passed over since now, all parents have to do is pull out a strand of their kid’s hair. They can even do it while the kids are sleeping.

On the other side of the fence, manufacturers and many family groups feel the in-home drug tests could help addicts get help sooner and minimize the impact on everyone involved. They feel the test is a valuable tool for those who already strongly suspect drug abuse.

The results can be used to face the teen and convince them to go into a California drug rehab center or other treatment program in the US. It also helps in situations where the child is uncooperative or even violent.

The Accuracy of the Test

In-home drug testing is over 99% accurate, however this does not take contamination into consideration. Say your child goes to a public washroom and runs his hand through his hair. The transfer of DNA can occur that easily and the tests cannot distinguish between the two sets of DNA. In professional California drug rehab and testing centers, precautions are in place to eliminate this possibility.

As if a false positive result isn’t enough, the repercussions of falsely dragging your child to an inpatient drug rehab center only to find out it was a mistake can have life-long, negative effects on everyone. Home tests also cannot detect some drugs and substances, which could lead to false negatives causing severe drug problems to be ignored until it is too late.

In the end, choosing whether to use a home drug test is up to the parents to decide. If you are already considering drug testing, it may be in your best interest to seek the help of a professional California drug rehab center or other treatment center in your area. This way, even if you end up enrolling your child in an inpatient drug rehab program, you and your child will have the support needed to negotiate through the troubled waters and make it through the ordeal.

By: Christine Harrell

About the Author:

Caffeinated Content for WordPress ]]> http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/170/the-controversy-over-home-drug-tests-for-teens/feed/ 0 http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/268/benefits-of-home-drug-testing/ http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/268/benefits-of-home-drug-testing/#comments Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:58:22 +0000 jeevan http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/?p=268 Drug Testing is usually planned to check for substances that could either provide an unfair advantage over those who do not use them or contribute to problems in the individual’s life, including impaired performance. Some people would like to remain anonymous, so they were hesitant to go for drug tests to any laboratory or consultant. They use some home drug testing kits. Drug testing at home makes it personal and private. Home Drug Testing is helpful for those who hesitate to take these drug tests explicitly and also for parents to identify drug abuse in their children.

Go here for information about how to pass a drug test.

Advantages:

The benefits of in home testing are:

· Timely- Instant testing and confirmation eliminates delays up to 3 to 4 days in waiting for laboratory results.

· Cost Effective – Small fraction of full laboratory testing fee. Initial qualitative screening results for positive drug or drug metabolite confirmations provided for in cost effective manner.

· Rapid Confirmation- Decreased stress caused by waiting for results.

· Ease of Use – Simple test procedure using subject’s urine. Compact self-contained test, no peripherals and special equipment or training necessary.

· Accuracy up to 99%- Built in quality controls and variances provide the most accurate results for a one-step test possible. Minimizes false positives through user error.

· Visual Display- Easy to read results eliminate misreading or need for examiner interpretation.

Applications :

· Random Drug Screening of Employees.

· Pre-employment screening.

· Job Applicants making sure to “Test clean”.

· Halfway House and Drug Recovery Programs.

· School and Business “Drug Free” Programs.

· School Athletic Programs.

· Zero Tolerance Home Testing Programs.

· Vehicle and Equipment operation.

· Insurance Exams.

· Routine Medical Exams and Patient Programs.

· Law Enforcement.

Saliva drug test, hair drug test, urine drug test and sweat drug test- each type of drug test has unique advantages. A saliva drug test offers the advantage of a convenient collection procedure that can be directly observed by test administrator. A hair drug test extends the window of detection to three months, giving the longest look-back period of any other drug test method. A drug test that uses urine offers the advantage of solid scientific support for the test method. And because of the short window of detection for marijuana in a saliva drug test kit, positive saliva drug test results for marijuana indicate current intoxication from that drug. The sweat patch drug test system makes it very difficult for clients to substitute or adulterate the test, and offers continuous monitoring of drug use for the one week that the client typically wears the patch.

By: Drugteststrips.com

About the Author:

Visible symptoms like a general lack of interest, a fall in grades and abandonment from family members if notice in youngsters then it can be concluded that they are victims of drug abuse. Mood swings to a feeling of low self-esteem also says that the person is using drugs. Change in style of dressing or taste in music and repeated absenteeism from school and are also some of the visible symptoms of drug abuse. Behavioral changes that are found among the employees using drugs at a work place are clearly visible through a decrease in their productivity.

Drug testing procedure follows two-step process. For instance say a urine sample is taken from the individual and it is divided in two parts. One part of the sample collected is tested for screening using immunoassay, which is a relatively simple, inexpensive, yet highly accurate test. The second step depends on the first step. If the first test is negative, then the result is declared to be negative, and if the result of the first test turns out to be positive, then the second test of confirmation follows. This test is conducted using the other part of the sample using a more complicated and more costly technique known as gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) or thin-layer chromatography (TLC). And if this test too displays a positive result then the person undergoing the test is declared to be under the influence of drugs. And on the other hand if this test shows negative, the previous test is deemed incorrect.

The process of giving a urine drug test should be done with care. Ensure that sample is sample is safe from alteration. Clean containers must be used to collect the sample. The sample must be checked immediately for acidity and temperature. Besides these care should be taken that the containers should be labeled in the presence of witness and furthermore, the containers should be sealed properly to prevent alteration. Watch out that the test should not be performed by a layperson and look out that the samples should be tested by licensed labs. All these factors are very important because the finally the results depends on all these factors. So take care of these factors to get the accurate results.

By: John Smart

]]> http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/160/drug-test-screening-and-confirmatory-test/feed/ 0 http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/270/military-drug-tests/ http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/270/military-drug-tests/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:14:11 +0000 Dee http://www.howtopassadrugtest420.org/?p=270