# Drug testing at work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321 "2002-11-05T05:08:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alexxandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@Alexxandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alexxandra)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/1 "2002-11-05T05:08:30Z")
One of my friends is an pot smoker. Okay, more than one of my friends. Anyways. He was pulled aside at work today by his boss, sworn to secrecy, and his boss told him that the company would start drug testing in January - I guess some people (NOT my friend) have been smoking dope before/during work and it’s gotten to be quite a problem, and now the company’s owner is implementing drug testing. My friend was warned because they consider him a valuable employee, and didn’t want to lose him (what a nice thing to hear from your boss). So, he quit dope as of tonight, to stay at the job he loves. My question is: how long does it take for pot to get out of your system? January is only two months away. It’s my guess that he would probably pass a pee test, but if they took a hair sample the test would probably come back positive. I’m not sure of any facts, and have done a few searches without any luck. Do you guys know of any sites with medical facts on this? Thanks, Alexx ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/2 "2002-11-05T14:49:09Z")
[http://www.drugabuse.gov/MarijBroch/Marijteenstxt.html#Long](http://www.drugabuse.gov/MarijBroch/Marijteenstxt.html#Long) > [@](#): > > Q: How long does marijuana stay in the user’s body? > A: THC in marijuana is strongly absorbed by fatty tissues in various organs. Generally, traces (metabolites) of THC can be detected by standard urine testing methods several days after a smoking session. However, in heavy chronic users, traces can sometimes be detected for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana. [http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/alcohol/acd-46.htm](http://www.teenhealthfx.com/answers/alcohol/acd-46.htm) > [@](#): > > Fatty tissues in various organs absorb the chemical in marijuana, THC. Traces of THC can be detected by standard urine and blood tests for about 2 days up to 11 weeks depending on the persons metabolism, how much they smoked and how long they smoked. THC can be detected for the life of the hair. Again, the sensitivity of the test ranges from person from to person depending on many factors including the amount of body fat, differences in metabolism, and how long and how much they smoked. “For the life of the hair” means he’s toast unless he shaves his head the day before the test. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/3 "2002-11-05T18:01:46Z")
Note, btw, that the hair test can be used on any body hair, as well as head hair. Legal issues being what they are on this board, I’m not going to offer a solution to this, except to say that for best results he should stop smoking pot until after the test. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/4 "2002-11-05T18:18:02Z")
Do many companies use hair tests? I was under the impression that they are considered too expensive. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Nifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@King\_Nifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Nifty)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/5 "2002-11-05T20:30:21Z")
This website has good advice: [http://www.urineluck.com/myth\_info.cfm](http://www.urineluck.com/myth_info.cfm). The first thing it tells you is that drinking the infamous “snot” - Golden Seal - does nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/6 "2002-11-05T21:15:31Z")
Your link gives me a Page Not Found, as it has an extra period at the end. When I go to the home page, I find that it’s a page selling “detoxifying” substances to enable one to pass a drug test. And it says, in the guise of providing information about specific drug tests: > [@](#): > > DOT tests are the hardest test to pass if the donor does not use a detoxifying product. However, if a detoxifying product is used, the DOT is the easiest test pass. Each type of detoxifying product works via a unique mechanism on drug tests. Refer to the product sections of this report for the mechanism information and explanation. And although they dutifully note that Golden Seal doesn’t work, they, on the other hand, have a product that does work! Two of them, actually, if you take Alexxandra’s friend and run him through the “Product Selection” menu… Snake oil, and advice on how to cheat drug tests. Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![Pulling\_the\_Strings](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/97f17d/32.png) [@Pulling\_the\_Strings](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pulling_the_Strings)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/7 "2002-11-05T21:29:35Z")
Most companies use a standard urine test. 2 months will be more than sufficient time for his body to clear itself of thc. If he’s really worried about it, tell him to start exercising to burn off the fat cells, most ‘cleansing products’ don’t work, and check the internet for water, vitamin B, and red meat solutions (only for a few days before the test as extra insurance). He really shouldn’t be worried w/ 2 months, though ---
**Author:** ![King\_Nifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@King\_Nifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Nifty)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/8 "2002-11-05T22:18:35Z")
Delete the extra period - sorry. ---
**Author:** ![King\_Nifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@King\_Nifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Nifty)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/9 "2002-11-05T22:21:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Snake oil, and advice on how to cheat drug tests. Hmm… And what do you mean by this? Isn’t the OP ASKING about advice on how to cheat drug tests? I was only trying to warn him that Golden Seal doesn’t work. “Hmmm” yourself. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-testing-at-work/135321/10 "2002-11-05T22:49:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Isn’t the OP ASKING about advice on how to cheat drug tests? No. Here’s the question: “My question is: how long does it take for pot to get out of your system?” Nowhere in there, is any advice on how to cheat the test, solicited. Had advice of this nature been asked for, this thread would have been locked immediately. Here at the Straight Dope, we do not permit dissemination of information designed to break, or circumvent, the law, in letter or in spirit. And seeing that the question asked has indeed been answered, and that history tells me this thread, were it to remain open, would devolve into just that area we say is off-limits, I’m locking it. [Note: Edited to add the word “not” in a particularly crucial place! 🙂]