Passing a Drug Test – Know Your Detection Times!

Dee — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:20:40 +0000

Anxiety about passing a drug test is an unpleasant reality for pot smokers. When you first hear you’re going to be drug tested, most people start looking for information about how long weed stays in your system.

But the answer to that can be dramatically different from person to person, which is why you can’t absolutely trust anything you find on the Internet. But here are some facts about passing a drug test that will help give you a general idea.

Detection Times For Passing A Urine Drug Test

There’s a lot of bad information on the Internet about how long THC metabolites can be detected in urine. The problem is that once something gets posted on the Internet it’s there forever, even if it’s really outdated by now.

Several years ago, it was thought that THC was detected in urine for as long as 90 days. Companies who sell detox products would still like you to believe that, because it means you’re more likely to buy one of their products. But the fact is, for most people it’s actually much less than that, usually more like 4-6 weeks for people who smoke regularly.

Why Passing A Drug Test For Pot Is Such A Crap Shoot

Passing a drug test when you have to give a urine sample can be problematic for two reasons:

1) Since THC metabolites are stored in your fat cells, they can be detected longer than any other recreational drug.

2) No two people have the exact same metabolism, which means no two people will take the exact same amount of time to get clean.

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’re an infrequent user, like maybe once every couple of weeks or less, then you’ll be clean in 3-5 days generally speaking. But if you happen to have a really slow metabolism, and you’re also a pretty heavy user, then realistically you could be looking at up to eight weeks before you get clean.

It’s impossible to predict with absolute certainty, which is why you shouldn’t trust any kind of chart you find online.

The Only Way To Know FOR SURE If You’ll Pass Your Drug Test

Knowledge is a good thing, so go ahead and try to find all the information you can about passing a drug test. But at the end of the day, the ONLY way to know for sure if you’re going to pass is if you TEST YOURSELF.

You can buy a home test kit at just about any pharmacy, for around $12 for a single-panel test strip. Or you can get cheap home test strips here if you have time to order online.

But whatever you do, do not show up for your test without knowing for sure whether or not you’re clean. It will save you a lot of anxiety in the long run. Even if you test positive, wouldn’t you rather know beforehand so you at least have a chance in hell of doing something about it?

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 around 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.

Opiates, barbiturates and anti-anxiety meds are kind of a wild card, because their detection times can vary depending on the particular drug and whether or not you take it daily. Some are a few days, and some could be a few weeks. So if you’re in the habit of using un-prescribed meds, you’ll need to get on the Internet and look for specific information about the particular drug by name. Wikipedia is a good place to start.

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 likely to find the answer on the Internet. Go to a pharmacy and buy a single-panel drug test strip, or get some cheaper test strips online, but just test yourself. 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.