# You Know You're Going To Fail A Pre-Employment Drug Test **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541 "2017-07-31T23:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/41 "2017-08-01T13:21:15Z")
> [@TheSundial](#): > > You have no idea what you’re talking about. Alcohol is a drug. I let this go at the time because it seemed nonsensical. > [@TheSundial](#): > > I **was** right about alcohol being a drug which one of the posters above didn’t realize. But since I assuming you’re referring to me, I’ll pursue it. What the hell are you talking about? Where is there any indication that I didn’t realize alcohol is a drug? I never said, nor even implied, any such thing. Do you not have good reading comprehension? Are you high? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/42 "2017-08-01T13:39:39Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean an employer can’t refuse to hire people who fail a test. A friend of mine failed the test- the company didn’t care about his weed card or the fact that it was legal for him to use it under state law. They cited federal law and refused to hire him. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/43 "2017-08-01T13:44:53Z")
My advice: do the interview and then decline the drug test, if they ask for one. As has been mentioned, better to withdraw from the process than to fail the test (if you believe you will not pass). I’ve been subject to random drug testing for the last 35 years due to government contracts and other safety-related issues. I still have to excuse myself when I’m around friends who smoke because I just can’t take the chance. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/44 "2017-08-01T14:43:29Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > A friend of mine failed the test- the company didn’t care about his weed card or the fact that it was legal for him to use it under state law. They cited federal law and refused to hire him. In the depths of the Amazon; this. It isn’t an issue in PA yet but in states where it does (ahem) crop up you just get bounced. Even if you have been hired and hit with a random test afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/45 "2017-08-01T15:05:51Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Yes, because smoking weed is way more important than finding a job :rolleyes: Yes, for me that is a true statement. Back before I entered the ranks of the self-employed I turned down job offers from companies that drug tested. I was once approached by a headhunter for a job, interviewed, then received a job offer that I accepted. On my third day at work I was told I’d need to pass a urine test. I said, “Fuck that” and went home. It was never mentioned prior to my acceptance. They apologized and asked if I’d consider pissing once, at my convenience, then I’d be kept out of the pool of random people. I picked a date 6 weeks out and abstained (but I was unhappy). I passed my test and they somehow made sure I never got picked for a random (which really mad a mockery of the whole idea). I completed my one year contract, then went into business for myself. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/46 "2017-08-01T15:06:37Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > I’d go with B. > But if one had 24 hours, there’s always this mantra; “The solution to pollution is dilution.” Yeah, it’s a pretty open secret that passing a piss test is as easy as guzzling a gallon of water before the test. There’s also fake pee, or finding a sober friend to donate their urine to the cause. These tests aren’t hard to pass if you know what you’re doing, even if you’re Tommy Chong. > [@Slash1972](#): > > Yes, because smoking weed is way more important than finding a job :rolleyes: It might have _been_ more important a month ago, but situations change. Now it isn’t, but it’s still in your system, because urinalysis tests whether you’ve _smoked a single puff in the past month_. Cheek swabs and blood tests are more reasonable, where they basically just test whether you’re under the influence _now_. I mean, drinking isn’t more important than getting a job either, but imagine if every time you applied for a job, they tested whether you have had a beer any time within the last month and a half? It’s simply absurd for that to be the standard. Or to defend that standard. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/47 "2017-08-01T15:18:42Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I picked a date 6 weeks out and abstained (but I was unhappy). I passed my test and they somehow made sure I never got picked for a random (which really mad a mockery of the whole idea). I completed my one year contract, then went into business for myself. So I guess getting a job WAS more important than smoking weed, since you abstained for 6 weeks. KEEPING the job is another issue entirely 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/48 "2017-08-01T15:20:35Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > +1 > > A company both suspicious enough to impose universal drug testing and anal enough to be unwilling to hire people because they occasionally smoke weed (note: not turn up high to the interview, that’s a clear red flag no matter how open-minded your boss is, unless the job is like, “Bassist for Nickelback”, in which case don’t do it, the pay is good but you’ll hate every second of your miserable existence and they have methods in place to ensure you can’t kill yourself) is usually gonna be full of anal-retentive assholes who have no trust for the people they work with. This is the standard in some fields (I hope my nurse is anal-retentive and doesn’t trust me!) but if the job is just driving pizzas from one end of town to the other… That job is gonna suuuuuuuck. Let’s see. I, Mr. Pizza Hut Manager, hire you as a delivery driver. I don’t test you for recent drug use. You then have an accident while delivering one of my pizzas. The cops at the scene decide to subject you to a blood or urine test because they suspect impairment. The toxicology report comes back positive for marijuana. It matters not whether the drug was a contributing factor, maybe the accident would have happened anyway, but you have now just opened up Mr. Pizza Hut Manager and Pizza Hut Corp. to a huge lawsuit. Employers HATE it when that happens… There are good reasons to refuse to hire someone who cannot/will not pass a drug test. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/49 "2017-08-01T15:21:42Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I mean, drinking isn’t more important than getting a job either, but imagine if every time you applied for a job, they tested whether you have had a beer any time within the last month and a half? It’s simply absurd for that to be the standard. Or to defend that standard. I am defending the standard only in the sense that it is the standard. If I needed a job, and the only ones available drug (or alcohol) tested, then I would refrain from drugs or alcohol in order to get a job. I wouldn’t NOT get a job just because of their ludicrous standards. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/50 "2017-08-01T15:30:13Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Are you sure? > > It’s legal to belong to the KKK and the Ayran Nation, and wear T-shirts on your day off that say, “Race Mongrels Not Wanted.” > > Do you think a company could fire you if they learned of this conduct? > > If they learned of this conduct before hiring you, do you think they could rely on this reason to not extend an offer of employment? Obviously American law is different, and expects greater toadying towards employers, but due to a robust value of freedom in the EU it is illegal to sack or discriminate against an employee for his political beliefs. _Or_ to influence the way they vote. \*Florida-based ASG Software CEO Arthur Allen informed his employees that he was contemplating a merger that would eliminate “60% of the salaries” of the company – should Romney lose. In Ohio, coal mine owner Robert Murray left employees in no doubt that they were expected to attend a Romney rally – off the clock and without pay. In Cuba, at least they pay workers for show demonstrations. \* \*\*Brooklyn College political scientist Corey Robin sees a historical pattern: "During the McCarthy years, the state outsourced the most significant forms of coercion and repression to the workplace. Fewer than 200 people went to jail for their political beliefs, but two out of every five American workers was investigated or subject to surveillance. “Today, we’re seeing a similar process of outsourcing. Government can’t tell you how to vote, but it allows CEOs to do so.”\*\* **[Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/26/can-company-fire-you-for-way-you-vote)** 2012 History doesn’t tell if Mr. Allen eliminated 60% of his own salary when Romney hit the wall. \* The judges in Strasbourg found that Arthur Redfearn, 56, was sacked in 2004 from his job in Bradford, driving mainly Asian adults and children with disabilities. They ruled on a 4-3 majority that the decision by private firm Serco to fire him breached Article 11 – the freedom of assembly and association – because he was sacked only because of his membership of a political party. The court said it was “struck by the fact that he had been summarily dismissed following complaints about problems which had never actually occurred, without any apparent consideration being given to the possibility of transferring him to a non-customer facing role”. It added: “In fact, prior to his political affiliation becoming public knowledge, neither service users nor colleagues had complained about Mr Redfearn, who was considered a ‘first-class employee’.” A spokesman at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “This amendment does not make any changes to the grounds on which a person can be dismissed. Political affiliation has never been a grounds for dismissing someone. “Only in cases where a persons political beliefs have interfered with their ability to do their job can there be grounds to bring disciplinary proceedings. “The amendment gives people the right to bring a claim for unfair dismissal on the grounds of their political beliefs from day one. It would then be up to a tribunal to consider the claim.”\* **[Telegraph](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9870840/People-cannot-be-fired-for-political-beliefs-Government-says.html)** 2016 On the BNP Mr. Redfearn… \*The significance of Section 13 is that employees will have the right to claim unfair dismissal even if they have less than a day’s service on the job - provided that they have a case to argue that the principal reason for their dismissal was related to their political opinions or affiliation. \* **[People Management](http://www2.cipd.co.uk/pm/peoplemanagement/b/weblog/archive/2013/06/28/right-wing-rights-in-the-workplace.aspx)** 2013 It is important to remember that in the grim past villainous employers in both America and Britain would summarily dismiss workers both for holding socialist or leftist views, or for trade union organizing. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/51 "2017-08-01T15:35:26Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Obviously American law is different, and expects greater toadying towards employers, but due to a robust value of freedom in the EU it is illegal to sack or discriminate against an employee for his political beliefs. It’s illegal to be a Nazi in Germany, at least. You’re telling me you can _go to jail_ for your political beliefs, but you can’t be _fired_ for them? I don’t believe that EU law is as cut and dried as you make it out to be. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/52 "2017-08-01T15:37:56Z")
> [@TheSundial](#): > > He needs to move to Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Washington DC, Maine or any other state I’m not mentioning where it’s legal. In California it’s legal in January. Then there are 26 states or so where medical is legal which is pretty much the same thing as recreational, all you have to do is go to a doctor and say that you have back pain and you can get a prescription written. It doesn’t make any difference if you live in a legal state or not. Any company that has contracts with the federal government, or receives grant money from the feds, or has safety concerns, or gets an insurance reduction, will still have a drug free workplace policy in line with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. You will still get a pre-employment drug test, and have to pass. You might never be tested again, but you still have to pass to get hired. The legality of the drug or having a medical card makes no difference. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/53 "2017-08-01T15:50:21Z")
> [@TheSundial](#): > > I’ve worked a liquor store, a health food store, and Jimmy John’s bike delivery, none of them cared if I smoked haha. What sort of high do you get from smoking “haha”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/54 "2017-08-01T16:01:35Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I work for that internet giant of retail whose name starts with A; they do the new-hire events in our breakroom where we get to watch – and so the company can remind us how easily we’re replaced. What many do not know is that the drug test is done at the time you apply. Surprise! About 50% or better fail but I have only seen one just basically walk out. And the dude was so clearly stoned that the hiring team just let him go through everything else for giggles. We use the cheek swab unless there is some reason for something more intense; like running over someone with a PIT. What I am told (I have no vested interested in the subject) is that they are not that terribly sensitive; unless you were smoking pot that morning you probably won’t trip it. And still the high failure rate. > > Kids these days. 😃 They cant do that in CA. They arent supposed to do a drug screening until they are ready to offer you a job if you pass. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/55 "2017-08-01T20:04:24Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > There’s a principle involved that people who unilaterally impose drugs tests for their own sick purposes are less than stellar employers. That principle is totally incorrect. I have had to pass a drug test for every job I’ve had in the last 20+ years, and I have loved every one of my jobs. I have worked in one place that didn’t drug test and it was a terrible job. The people were total losers who couldn’t meet deadlines, etc. I wound up doing more than my assigned work load because of it. I quit and the company folded about eight months later. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/56 "2017-08-01T21:07:21Z")
> [@TheSundial](#): > > He needs to move to Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Washington DC, Maine or any other state I’m not mentioning where it’s legal. I live in Oregon (and have lived in Washington). Both of my last two jobs did a pre-employment screening, and would not have hired me if I tested positive for marijuana, even though it’s legal in both states. (Actually, I think maybe it wasn’t legal yet in Washington at the time, but they still test). Anyway, (B) seems the right answer. If not using is company policy, you probably can’t get away with it forever, and if it’s not or they have leeway, they might hire you anyway. But I’ve never seen an employer that didn’t say somewhere in the pre-application process that a drug test was going to happen, so as an employer I’d be a little puzzled why it didn’t come up until we handed you the cup (or swab). ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/57 "2017-08-01T21:18:20Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > It’s illegal to be a Nazi in Germany, at least. You’re telling me you can _go to jail_ for your political beliefs, but you can’t be _fired_ for them? I don’t believe that EU law is as cut and dried as you make it out to be. It is not illegal to be a Nazi. Otherwise half the post-war politicians and civil servants in both German republics would have ended their days in the slammer. It is illegal to sell or display Nazi memorabilia in some venues; and sort of illegal to belong to a National Socialist party, although obviously one can be in an entirely different party that espouses certain cherished values; and illegal to deny the Holocaust. Which is now more like unwisely denying the Holy Ghost in 16th century Rome rather than having present day relevance. Pure virtue-signalling. I am unaware of anyone in Germany sent to jail for political beliefs since the Fall of the Wall. And even _were_ it all illegal to do anything at all, it is not the employer’s business to act as policemen. If they want to fire someone for their own reasons, all well and good; to fire people because the government disapproves of them takes us right back to Salem. And all that said, there may be employers in Germany and elsewhere who would _approve_ of like-minded employees with a keen interest in the old values. Just like there may be a few Southern employers who foster a nostalgia for the Good Old Cause. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/58 "2017-08-01T21:21:04Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > But I’ve never seen an employer that didn’t say somewhere in the pre-application process that a drug test was going to happen, so as an employer I’d be a little puzzled why it didn’t come up until we handed you the cup (or swab). I’ve never had a job that had any drug testing. As far as I know, neither has my wife, or any of our children. According to [this article](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/10/companies-drug-test-a-lot-less-than-they-used-to-because-it-doesnt-really-work/?utm_term=.f1fbdadbf35c), drug testing by employers is down, from around 80 percent to around 60 percent. The conclusion: > [@](#): > > Employers drug test a lot less than they used to because there’s very little evidence that testing does much to improve safety or productivity. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/59 "2017-08-01T21:22:57Z")
I think Evan Drake, in the UK, is as confused as I am in Canada about drug testing. It’s used very sparingly here, and I honestly don’t know if it’s a prerequisite for any kind of employment: some military and perhaps people who have highly dangerous jobs, or jobs where screw-ups could have huge safety implications? I don’t know. I just left a job at a Nuclear facility, and absolutely no drug testing took place at all. Fitness for work was all that mattered so if you were suspected of being on drugs you could presumably be required to take a test, but I never heard of anyone who did in my 7+ years there. Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2017, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541/60 "2017-08-01T21:27:48Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > That principle is totally incorrect. I have had to pass a drug test for every job I’ve had in the last 20+ years, and I have loved every one of my jobs. > > I have worked in one place that didn’t drug test and it was a terrible job. The people were total losers who couldn’t meet deadlines, etc. I wound up doing more than my assigned work load because of it. I quit and the company folded about eight months later. I have worked exclusively in the IT industry for 25+ years. I started out as a developer fresh out of college but became a systems analyst and systems architect and continued on to a variety of other tech roles. I’ve worked in many fortune 500 company and Federal Gov’t sector positions. I’ve not once been asked to take a drug test (not that I’d have any reason to avoid doing so). I’ve had jobs I liked and jobs I hated. Not once did it occurred to me to find fault with a work environment because of a lack of drug testing policies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-youre-going-to-fail-a-pre-employment-drug-test/792541.md?page=4)