Despite state approval of both medical and recreational marijuana across the country, employers in most jurisdictions still have the legal right to test for cannabis. They also have the right to take disciplinary action against employees who test positive. The question for cannabis users is whether there are ways to pass workplace drug tests.
The cannabis community offers all sorts of tips and tricks. Some of them involve purchasing products that may or may not help. One thing is for sure: there are never any guarantees. Attempting to test negative for cannabis when you are a regular user is neither easy nor predictable.
THC Stays in Your System
Drug tests intended to reveal marijuana use are based on detecting THC. According to Beehive Farmacy, a Utah medical cannabis dispensary with locations in Brigham City and Salt Lake City, THC can stay in your body for up to 120 days depending on how frequently you use and the delivery method you prefer. Here are the average times, based on test type:
- Saliva: 1-7 days
- Urine: 30-45 days
- Blood: 45-60 days
- Hair: 90-120 days.
Also note that the amount of time THC hangs around in a person’s system can be affected by many things. Weight and metabolism are at the top of the list. On average, you are looking at 4 to 6 weeks to be completely free of THC if you are a regular user – provided you stop using.
Strategies for Passing Tests
A cursory online search reveals a number of strategies for passing drug tests as a regular cannabis user. Given that urine tests are the most common tests conducted for workplace purposes, there is always the temptation to try to offer a bogus urine sample.
Urine tests are specifically designed to look for more than just illicit drugs. They also look for certain markers that indicate a urine sample is legitimate. With this in mind, it is a bad idea to try to pass off synthetic urine. It is too easy to get caught. Likewise, getting a friend to donate a urine sample is risky because it will not be the right temperature.
Additional strategies include:
- Natural Cleansing – This strategy involves ceasing all cannabis use and changing your diet in order to allow your body to naturally cleanse itself. It can take up to 60 days.
- Detox Drinks – Commercially sold detox drinks do not actually remove THC from your body. They strip certain markers so that THC is not detected in a urine test. However, they also strip some of the markers that would confirm your urine sample as legit. They do not work all that well.
- Detox Kits – High quality detox kits rely on herbs and other natural ingredients to boost the body’s natural detox systems. They can take up to 10 days to do their job.
- Home Remedies – All sorts of home remedies promise to detox the body with everything from vinegar to niacin. It is a safe bet most do not work.
If you are a medical cannabis user, your employer might be willing to treat cannabis the same way it treats alcohol. This is to say that no disciplinary action will be taken against you as long as cannabis does not affect your work. However, it will be a different story if you are using recreationally.
For the foreseeable future, employers still have the right to test for cannabis and take appropriate action if they find it in their employees. Things may change down the road. For now, though, it is a risk cannabis users have to take.