DRUG TESTING SECRETS Table of Contents Table of Contents ...........................................................................................................................................2 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................3 Urine Testing ...................................................................................................................................................4 Fat Soluble Drugs (stored in fat cells) ...................................................................................................11 Water Soluble Drugs ................................................................................................................................11 Method 1: Abstinence / Permanent Detoxification .......................................................................12 Method 2: Accelerated Permanent Detoxification..........................................................................12 Method 3: Temporary Detoxification...............................................................................................15 Method 4: Urine Substitution.............................................................................................................16 Method 5: Adding a Substance to Your Sample .............................................................................18 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................19 Hair Testing ...................................................................................................................................................20 Blood Testing ................................................................................................................................................25 Saliva Testing .................................................................................................................................................27 Finger Nail Testing .......................................................................................................................................28 Sweat Patch Testing......................................................................................................................................29 Additional Testing Information..................................................................................................................30 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................32 Detoxification Product and Website Reviews ..........................................................................................33 Poor Ratings..............................................................................................................................................33 Positive Ratings.........................................................................................................................................35 What to Do If You Test Positive...........................................................................................................38 When to Get an Attorney ............................................................................................................................41 Glossary ..........................................................................................................................................................43 Drug Test Slang Terms ................................................................................................................................51 Bonus Section: Marijuana ............................................................................................................................69 Marijuana Legal Status .............................................................................................................................73 Marijuana Statistics ...................................................................................................................................76 Marijuana Myths—Fact or Fiction?.......................................................................................................79 Marijuana Facts .........................................................................................................................................80 Marijuana Effects .................................................................................................................................80 Marijuana-Medical Possibilities..........................................................................................................81 Drug Testing Secrets Page 2 Introduction The information that follows in these pages is in no way a 100% guarantee that you will pass your test. There are too many variables that can occur in drug testing for us to be able to give that kind of guarantee. For example, you can follow every tip we give you, and the lab can screw up the test, causing you to fail. But by following these tips, you are putting the odds in your favor of passing. And that should be the goal of trying to pass any drug test, stacking all the odds in your favor, so you give yourself the best chance to pass. Each of the following sections will tell you everything you need to know about each form of testing, and the steps you need to take to put the odds in your favor to pass. Each section is in a question-answer interview format, we have found that this format makes it easier to understand the information we are presenting to you. Drug Testing Secrets Page 3 Urine Testing Question: What are the most common methods of urine testing used today that I should be concerned about? Answer: 1. Immunoassay Technique This is the most common form of urine testing that is given to you as a first test. There are about 5 different forms of Immunoassay testing, the most common being the EMIT (Enzyme Multiplied Immunoassay Technique). If you are going to a lab to be tested, 95 of the time, an EMIT is going to be used first to determine if you test positive for drugs. We will not get into the science of the tests, just because it goes beyond the scope of what you really need to know to pass your test. But just know the EMIT is considered a drug screening, and not an actual drug test. The EMIT is very inexpensive to perform, but still can detect small amounts of drug metabolites in your urine. Drug metabolites are by-products of drugs left in your body, not the actual drug itself. The EMIT tests for a cut off level of 50 ng/l of drug metabolites. This means if you have 51 ng/l in your urine, you will fail, and if you have 49 ng/l you will pass. The problem with EMIT screenings is that they are not very accurate, and can give off false positive readings up to 25 of the time. A false positive means the drug screening shows you as positive for illegal drugs, when actually another substance (Ibuprofen, Decongestant, Poppy Seed, etc.) is causing that reading. Because of this inaccuracy, the lab will always do a second, more expensive test if you fail the EMIT. This back up is an actual drug test, called GC/MS, and is much more accurate. We will talk more about GC/MS in a little while. Drug Testing Secrets Page 4 Now if you pass the EMIT drug screening, in most cases you are in the clear, and you will not be subjected to the GC/MS test (because the lab does not want to spend the money on the more expensive GC/MS test). However, in some cases they can do both or just the GC/MS test up front if they wanted to. There is nothing written in stone about the testing procedure. However, 95 of the labs today are going to do an EMIT drug screening with a GC/MS back up, with the GC/MS back up done only if you fail the EMIT screening. Most basic drug screenings will use a 5 panel screening; look for THC, Opiates, Cocaine, PCP, and Methamphetamines. However some labs can use up to a 10 panel screening that also tests for Benzodiazepines, Amphetamines, Barbiturates, Methadone, and Morphine. Just a quick word on opiate testing. Opiates can range from hard drugs like morphine and heroin to weak codeine products like Tylenol 3. Many people may take a Tylenol 3 borrowed from a friend or family member, without realizing that they are illegally taking a drug that was not prescribed to them. You can test positive for opiates on a standard drug screening whether you have done heroin or just taken a Tylenol 3 for a bad headache! If you can not produce a prescription for the Tylenol 3, you will fail. Seems unfair, but it's a reality, so just be careful if you have taken someone else's prescription medication. 1. Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) This is the most precise procedure for detection of illegal substances. Gas chromatography/mass Spectrometry is a two-step process, where GC separates the sample into its constituent parts, while MS provides the exact molecular identification of the compounds. The GC/MS tests for a cut off level of around 14 ng/l of drug metabolites, substantially lower than the 50 ng/l for the EMIT test. Meaning it can detect trace amounts of drug metabolites. Also, GC/MS does not have as much problems with false positives like the EMIT test. Drug Testing Secrets Page 5 The GC/MS is difficult and more costly, which is why the EMIT is usually given first. Your goal in any urine test is to pass the EMIT screening, so you never have to take the GC/MS test. Not only do you have to take the proper steps to make sure there are no drugs in your urine, but you also have to make sure that a false positive does not show up on the EMIT test. The following foods/over the counter medications have been known to cause false positives on the EMIT screening: Ibuprofen (or any pain reliever) Hay fever remedies Diet pills Decongestants Antibiotics (amoxicillin) Dental products (Novocain, or any product ending with cain) Poppy seeds IMPORTANT: Consuming any of these 48 hours before an EMIT screening, even if you have taken the proper steps to detoxify of banned drugs for the screening, can result in a false positive, meaning your sample will go to GC/MS for testing. 2. Adulterant Test Not only do you have to pass the EMIT-GC/MS test, your sample is also put through an adulteration test. An adulteration test can tell through measurements of the urine samples Temperature, Sample Color, PH, Specific Gravity, Glucose, and Protein levels if there has been an attempt to beat the test. For example, if you tried to drink a lot of water to dilute you sample, the adulteration test would be able to pick it the dilution (visual inspection of the sample alone, by the lab technician, seeing that it is clear, and not colored, will call attention to dilution). Different household remedies (bleach, Visine, vinegar, etc) that seem to be so popular can cause you to fail the adulterant test; this is why we strongly advise against using these to pass a Drug Testing Secrets Page 6 test. You'll always notice that most of the time, you'll here from a friend that he or she "heard from a friend that their friend" passed a test using a household adulterant. But you'll never really get the information first hand or the exact directions from someone who had used a household product to pass a test. Many of these are just urban legends. Also, never use a urine additive sold on the internet, like Urine-luck for example. Most of these are detectable by an adulterant test. The only way you will end up passing with these type of products is if the lab does not do an adulterant test, and just uses the EMIT. Pretty much all labs use adulterant testing, so steer clear of these products at all times! The adulterant test can also detect a poor detoxification product. You've probably seen countless amounts of pills and drinks sold on the internet that give you a 6 hour window to pass a test. The fact is, the cheap ones, will cause your sample to come back diluted and/or actually fail the EMIT test. So it's important, if you decide to use one of these products, to choose a quality one. We will cover where to find the best detoxification products on the market in our bonus section. PASSING TIP While the adulterant test may seem as another obstacle towards passing your test, it actually can be used in your favor. A major shift in PH and glucose indicated on an adulterant test usually indicates a sample tampered with household products or urine additives like Urine Luck. This will result in instant failure of your test. This is why we strongly advise not using any of these. However, drinking a lot of water before your test (never add water to the sample), will cause your sample to come back diluted on the adulterant test (low Creatine and clear color). In this case, the lab will not fail you (as they would if you failed for adding bleach or Urine-Luck), but ask you to retake the test at a later time. This result will come back labeled inconclusive. The reason they don't fail you and let you retake it is that anybody could accidentally have drunk too much water before their test. Drug Testing Secrets Page 7 This is excellent information to use to your advantage to buy some more time in the case a test has been scheduled before you had time to get a good detox product. Compare this to adding Urine-Luck or bleach to your sample, where it will come back as an instant failure, and you can see how drinking a lot of water (as much as you can stand) before your test can get you out of a serious bind. Yes, you will not pass the adulterant test, but drinking a lot of water will get you another shot at the test, most likely on another day, giving you the time to plan accordingly (finding a good detox product). Section Summary The EMIT screening is usually given first in most drug tests. It can be very inaccurate, so if you fail the EMIT, your sample will be given a more accurate, more expensive GC/MS test. Your goal is to pass the EMIT test so your sample never goes to GC/MS. Do not consume any products from the false positive list above 48 hours before your test. Even if you have taken the steps to detoxify your urine for illegal drugs, eating a poppy seed bagel the morning of a test for example, can lead to a false positive reading and force your sample to go to GC/MS, even if the reading was due to the poppy seeds and not the illegal drugs. Once in GC/MS, the illegal drugs can be detected, even if they were not in the EMIT, because the cut off levels are much lower than in the EMIT screening. Drug Testing Secrets Page 8 additives sold on the internet can easily be picked up by an adulterant test and wi Adulterant tests can detect if a sample has been tampered with. Household products and urine ll result in immediate failure. Drinking too much water before a test will result in a diluted sample, and an inconclusive reading. An inconclusive reading will result in you having to take the test again. You can use this to your advantage to buy more time (and find a good detox system) for a second test if you can not get clean before hand. EMIT Detection Times of Substances in Urine Substance Detection Time Shrooms) Amphetamines 6-10 days Ketamine (Special K) 9-14 days Barbiturates (Short- 2 days LSD 7-10 days Methadone 8-10 days Nicotine (Cigarettes) unknown Opiates 8-10 days Acting) Barbiturates (Long- 3-4 weeks Acting) Benzodiazepines 7-10 days Peptide hormones undetectable Cannabinoids (THC, 14-50 days Phencyclidine (PCP) 2-4 days Phenobarbital 10-20 days 6 hours to 2 days Marijuana) Clenbuterol 4-6 days Propoxyphene Cocaine 9-12 days Steroids (anabolic oral) 14-28 days Codeine 8-10 days Steroids (anabolic Euphorics (Ecstacy, 8-10 days parenterally) 1-3 months Other Factors to Remember When Testing For Drug Use: metabolism amount of body fat (for fat soluble potency of substance substances such as THC) fluid intake frequency of intake of substance length of time you have been a user amount of substance tolerance Drug Testing Secrets Page 9 Drug Testing Secrets Page 10 Question: What steps can I take to pass a urine test? Answer: There are three ways to pass a urine test. The method you should use really depends on the time you have before your test. Based on the information below, use you best judgment to decide which is best for you. We first need to touch on how drugs are stored in your body. With that said, there are two ways drugs are stored in the body: Fat Soluble Drugs (stored in fat cells) These include THC (Marijuana, Hashish) Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanex, Ativan, Dalmane, Diazepam, Librium, Tranxene, Versed, Halcion, Paxipam, Restoril), Long Acting Barbituates (Phenobarbitol), and Anabolic Steroids. Water Soluble Drugs These include any other drug class not mentioned above. The most popular water soluble drugs are Cocaine, Methamphetamines and Opiates (Heroin). These drugs are not stored in the body for a long period of time, usually 3-4 days after the last use. However, in heavy users it may last up to 10 days. For most people, the biggest concern is the fat soluble drug THC (Marijuana), although this information applies to all fat soluble drugs. The length of time THC stores in the fat cells is dependent on the following factors - usage level, length of time using, amount of fat cells in the body or Body mass index (weight and height), potency, diet, metabolic rate, and daily activity level. The amount of water you drink will have no effect on reducing THC levels in your fat cells. EXAMPLE 1: A person who will take the longest to get clean after he/she quits smoking (taking 1-4 months to get clean) would be a tall overweight person with a desk job, who does not exercise, eats a lot of junk food, and has smoked potent marijuana every day for years. Drug Testing Secrets Page 11 EXAMPLE 2: A person who would get clean the fastest after he/she quits smoking (taking 3 days to 1 week to get clean) would be a thin, construction worker, who jogs daily, eats well, and smokes low potency marijuana on the weekends only. While the above examples are two opposite extremes, you should get an idea how long it will take you to clean up by comparing your situation to these two examples. So back to the question, how can you pass a urine test? Method 1: Abstinence / Permanent Detoxification For Fat Soluble Drugs: You can just quit using, and with time, your fat cells will naturally release all drug metabolites, and you will be permanently clean. This usually takes notice weeks in advance of a drug test, and many people don t have the time to just wait it out. If you do, do not assume that after 30 days you will be clean. We hear the 30 day number thrown around for marijuana, and it's just not the case for everyone. The best way, and the only way to be sure you are clean, is to test yourself. This can be done by getting yourself tested at a local drug lab, or by purchasing a home test kit in a local drug store. If you can not find one, you can purchase home test kits online. If you don't test yourself, you are just guessing if you are clean, and I don't need to tell you that a guess is not worth failing your test. So always test yourself first before your actual drug test! For Water Soluble Drugs: Same situation applies as fat soluble, except you will get clean much faster. You can help this by drinking 64 oz or more of water per day. And remember, always test yourself before your actual drug test. Method 2: Accelerated Permanent Detoxification For Fat Soluble Drugs: You can accelerate permanent detoxification of fat soluble drugs by forcing your body to bum fat. When we say burn fat, we mean reducing the size of the fat cells Drug Testing Secrets Page 12 in your body, thereby "squeezing out" the drug metabolites so there is little or none left. This method is similar to abstinence, except you are accelerating the time it takes to be clean. This is done by increasing your metabolism and burning fat over a period of time. The methods discussed below are not magic tricks, but based on accepted principles of nutrition and exercise science. Eating a low fat, low carbohydrate diet, low sodium diet. You should eat often as possible, and not skip any meals. Contrary to what many people believe, eating more actually increases your metabolism, while eating less will slow it down. So be sure to follow a low fat, low carbohydrate diet, and eat 5-6 times a day. Feel free to eat as much as you want as long as it's a low fat, low carbohydrate diet you're following. Be sure to drink plenty of water so any released drug metabolites will be washed from your body through urination. Since this type of diet will cause drug metabolites to leave your fat cells, you should stop the dieting 48 hours prior to your drug test. Exercise is a powerful way to decrease the fat cell size. Cardiovascular exercise (running, bike riding, etc.) for an extended period of time (25 minutes and longer) is the best way to burn fat cells. You should not run or jog fast and furiously, as this will cause your body to burn carbohydrates. Your cardiovascular exercise should be slow (a good rule of thumb is that you should be going fast enough where you can't sing, but slow enough to be able to carry on a conversation) and extended over longer periods of time for most efficient fat burning. Since exercise will cause drug metabolites to leave your fat cells, you should not exercise 48 hours prior to your drug test. Exercise tip: While cardiovascular is the best way to bum fat, if you do resistance training (weight lifting, push ups, pulls up) first, before cardiovascular exercise, you will bum fat more efficiently. The reason being is that your body will always use its glucose (blood sugar) to fuel activity first, and when glucose is depleted, it will bum fat. So if you first start running, before resistance training, your body will spend the first 20 minutes burning glucose, and then use fat for energy once your body's glucose reserves are spent. Drug Testing Secrets Page 13 This means that if you run for a period of 45 minutes, before weight lifting, you will spend the first 20 minutes burning glucose, and only getting 25 minutes of fat burning exercise in. However, if you do a 1/2 hour session of resistance training, like weight lifting first, you will burn most your glucose reserves on these activities. Then if you start a 45 minute jogging session right after, you will begin burning fat after 5-10 minutes (since your glucose reserves are pretty much spent already), giving you a full 35-40 minutes of fat burning activity, compared to only 25 minutes when just jogging first. The longer your resistance training session, the longer you'll burn fat when you start your cardiovascular exercise. You should combine the low fat/low carbohydrate diet with the exercise routine for the best results. It will typically take 5-10 days for an average user with average weight to become clean with this method. The heavier in body weight and usage you are, the longer it will take to be clean. Remember to always test yourself to be sure you are clean. For Water Soluble Drugs: The accelerated permanent detoxification for water soluble drugs will occur much quicker than for fat soluble drugs. As a rule of thumb, 2 days of the low fat / high protein diet and exercise routine should suffice for permanent detoxification of water soluble drugs. Important Notes: We have researched and found some detoxification companies on the internet that sell complete permanent detoxification systems, that include diet and exercise routines, mineral concentrations that help absorption of drug metabolites, as well as home test kits. We purchased and reviewed a few of these, and recommend the best ones in our detoxification product review section. If you come across some of these systems on your own, beware of any product that claims to cleanse you permanently without the use of at least a diet. There is no one "miracle" herb or mineral that can result in permanent detoxification when taken alone. Drug Testing Secrets Page 14 Method 3: Temporary Detoxification For Fat Soluble Drugs: Temporary detoxification uses a method of flushing your urine clean on a short term basis, usually within a window of 4-6 hours. These are the drinks and pills you see sold in most head shops and internet sites. These products work by diluting your sample after taking them, but at the same time, adding creatine, protein, and Vitamin B to your urine so it will pass the adulterant test. You will pass the screening because of dilution, and pass the adulterant test as well due to the creatine and vitamins that were part of the formula. Realize that this method of detoxification is completely different that the accelerated permanent method discussed before. Here, we do not want to affect the fat cells in anyway. We do not want to burn fat with a temporary system. You actually want the fat cells to release as little drug metabolites into the urine as possible in the hours and days before the test. This means no exercising or dieting at least 48 hours before your test (and definitely no usage 48 hours prior). You should be drinking plenty of water and fruit juice, preferably cranberry, in the days before taking a temporary detoxification system. This will act as a pre-flush before you take the actual system. The day of test, it is important not to eat and drink only limited fluids. Foods will interfere with and block the flushing action of a temporary system. These systems require you to drink additional water as well. Drinking too much will cause the sample to become diluted. As you can see while a temporary system is less work (no diet or exercise), it requires tighter planning. You must time this correctly before your test in order for it to work right. A good temporary detoxification system can have up to a 95% - 96% success rate (this percentage will drop to around 85% – 90% in an overweight person). If you are overweight, be sure to preflush with water and cranberry juice in the days before as mentioned above. While you see many temporary products sold, many of them are cheap, and can get you in trouble. A cheap temporary detox product will come back as diluted or a failure (due to the Drug Testing Secrets Page 15 poor formulation and mixture of creatine and vitamins in the product). There are literally hundreds of these products available. Be sure to check our detoxification system and website review page for the best temporary system brands. For Water Soluble Drugs: The temporary detoxification information above for fat soluble drugs applies to water soluble drugs as well. Method 4: Urine Substitution Urine substitution is a method of using someone else's clean urine in the place of your own. This is the most commonly used method for those undergoing drug tests that are not strictly administered. If a lab technician is watching you urinate, it's very difficult to substitute another urine sample. Some labs will have a lab employee stand in the bathroom with you, right outside the door (to listen if you are opening and closing containers), or some will let you alone completely. If you knew in advance what the procedure was, you could plan accordingly, but the problem is that many people don't know, and asking could lead to suspicion. If you know they will be watching and/or listening or you're not sure, urine substitution can be risky. Getting caught substituting someone else's urine is an actual crime in some states. So be careful here. But if you decide to go this route, the following information presents your options: Using a Friend’s Or Family Member's Urine: If you know someone who does not use any illegal drugs, the most common method is to use their urine sample in place of your own. We have heard that in the future, it's possible that some labs will be testing the gender of the urine sample submitted. We have not gotten confirmation of this, and it's not in practice as of yet, but just something to be aware of. One test they will definitely do on the sample is a temperature check. If it's not at or close to your body temperature, you most likely will be failed. One method used is to keep the container in a condom, in your crotch area, where it can be warmed through your own body heat. Just be sure that it's around body temperature when you give the Drug Testing Secrets Page 16 sample to the lab. One way of doing this is by performing a "practice run" first at home. Keep the condom in your crotch area for an hour or so, and then check the temperature of the sample in your bathroom with a thermometer. If you do not want to use the condom method above, you can purchase a urine substitution kit. These kits vary in design, but for the most part contain a small bag to hold the urine that has an attached battery operated heater and temperature strip. You heat the urine before the test, and simply pour the urine into the cup when you go into the room to give the sample. Once again, if you are being watched, some of these systems will be difficult to use. However, there are a few more advanced systems that actually come in a bag that straps to your leg or back, with a tube that runs right to your zipper. So if you are male, and being watched from behind by a lab technician, where they could not see the tube, you could make the substitution work. A female would have more trouble with this system if being watched from a squatting position. Purchasing Real or Synthetic Urine: If you don't have a "clean" friend or family member, or are too embarrassed to ask, you can purchase clean human urine or get a synthetic urine in powder or liquid form over the internet. Most urine substitution kits mentioned above come with either real or synthetic liquid/powder urine. From what we've found, the synthetic and powdered urine works just about every time. Please refer to our detoxification product and website review section to find the best place to obtain urine substitution products and systems. Important tip: Urine substitution may not be for everyone. If you are being watched, it can be extremely risky using this method. And just know that substituting someone else's urine for your own is illegal, and a crime in some states. Many of the companies who sell these substitution systems have had to fight major legal battles in their home states to sell these devices. So if you decide to go this route, just understand the risks involved here. Drug Testing Secrets Page 17 Method 5: Adding a Substance to Your Sample In the section on types of urine testing, we discussed the problems that using urine additives can cause. Basically, any household/over-the-counter item added will give you a passing reading for the test, but will cause you to fail the adulterant test. Below are some of the most popular urban legends and how they will get you in trouble if you use them: Vinegar: Adding vinegar to your urine will cause the PH of the sample to change dramatically. One of the adulterant tests on a urine sample is a test of the PH level. You will fail the adulterant test if you add vinegar to your sample. Visine: Adding Visine to your sample will cause the sample to foam and raise immediate suspicion. Do not add Visine to your urine sample. Ammonia: Adding ammonia to your urine will cause the PH of the sample to change dramatically. One of the adulterant tests on a urine sample is a test of the PH level. You will fail the adulterant test if you add ammonia to your sample. Table salt: Adding salt to your sample will test negative, but puts the specific gravity out of normal body ranges (Specific gravity is one of the adulterant tests.) Residue can also be seen at the bottom of the cup. You will fail the adulterant test if you add table salt to your sample. Drain-O - Adding Drain-O to your urine will cause the PH of the sample to change dramatically, and turn the urine sample a bluish tint. One of the adulterant tests on a urine sample is a test of the PH level. You will fail the adulterant test if you add Drain-0 to your sample. Bleach - Same thing as Drain-O. You will fail the PH adulterant test if you add Drain-O to your sample. Urine-Luck, Klear , etc- These are additives sold for the sole purpose of adding to a urine sample and beating a drug test. They have been designed to pass the adulterant test and drug screening. However, the drug testing industry keeps close tabs on these products, and from time to time changes their adulterant tests to detect these products. Then the additive manufacturer will improve the product to again beat the test. Drug Testing Secrets Page 18 What results is a race between the drug testing labs and the additive manufacturer to outdo each other. The problem is that you never really know who's ahead at the time you purchase the additive product. The additive companies always will also say their products are 100% undetectable, but don't trust their words. With this information known, using one of these additives can be very risky. Important Note: As with urine substitution, putting an additive in your sample is illegal, so be prepared for trouble if you get caught. Many of these additives will get you a negative reading on the drug screening itself, but with the advancement of adulteration tests, most of these additives are now detectable. The only way an additive would help you pass your test is if you knew beforehand that there was no adulteration test being performed on the sample. Conclusion Everything you need to know about urine testing is discussed above. Every persons testing situation is different, so if you decide to use any of these methods, you should choose accordingly. There is a fine line between what is legal and illegal when it comes to detoxification products. But the main difference is that something consumed or done before the test, like abstinence, accelerated permanent detoxification, or temporary detoxification is legal and rarely detectable. These methods are often the safe bet. We review and recommend the best detoxification systems in our bonus section However, something added to a urine sample or the replacement with someone else's urine or a synthetic urine product is 100% illegal. Be careful and understand the pros and cons of each method. All the information above will help aid you in the decision you make. Drug Testing Secrets Page 19 Hair Testing Question: How does hair testing work? Answer: Hair testing is now the second most used form of drug testing. The price of a hair test has dropped dramatically in the last 2 years, and is certainly bound to replace urine testing as the number one form of drug testing. Hair testing used to be very expensive and used only by top level government agencies and major corporations. However the price drop has made it affordable for small to medium size businesses, as well as family courts in the legal system. Right now, hair testing is the standard for most Nevada casino employment. Hair testing can reveal drug use within a larger time frame than urine testing because urine is excreted relatively quickly from the body. Any substance that has been consumed and enters the blood stream can be detected in the hair. The substance, once in the blood stream, will get deposited into the hair follicle (the hair follicle is the tiny sack deep in the skin tissue from which the hair originates and grows). As your hair is formed and grows out of the follicle, any toxins deposited there from your blood stream will be embedded into the shaft of the hair strand. An analysis of a hair strand can give an actual timeline of drug use. By looking at what part of the hair strand the toxins are in, a lab can tell when you actually used an illegal substance. A good analogy would be comparing the hair strand to the rings on a tree. A scientist can tell the age of tree by looking at a cross section of its trunk and measuring the spacing of its rings. A hair testing lab can use the same method by seeing the spacing of toxins throughout the strand. Most hair testing companies however will look only for the presence of drugs in the strand, and not be concerned about when you used them, as that requires more expensive analysis. But it can be done if asked. Question: I've heard that hair testing can look back for drug usage my whole life, is this true? Drug Testing Secrets Page 20 Answer: Many employers will feed you disinformation and tell you that hair testing can look back years. Hair testing can only look back for as long as the length of hair on your head is. The standard used by most testing labs is 90 days. Hair grows on average 1/2 inch per month, so in order to look back 90 days, you must have 3 X 1/2 inch, or 1 1/2 inches of hair. If you have hair down to the bottom of your back, which can easily be a few years worth of growth, if the lab tested one whole strand, from your scalp to your back, they could detect year's worth of use if they tested the whole strand. However, as mentioned above, the standard is to clip about 50 strands, 1 1/2 inches up from your scalp. So if your hair is very long, and you used drugs more that 3 months ago, if the lab follows the correct collection procedure (cutting only 1 1/2 inch of hair) you will test clean on the hair test. However... That's if they follow the correct collection procedure and cut 1 1/2 inches. You see, many times the collection of the sample is not done by the actual lab itself, but by collection agencies and even by a human resource departments employee at the company you might be applying for a job with. Many time the people taking the hair strand are not adequately trained in sample collecting or don't take the care to follow the right procedures. In some cases they clip more than the 1 1/2" from the scalp. We have heard many first hand stories of inadequately trained collection people taking full strands of hair, or clipping the hair from the ends, and not from the scalp. If you are getting hair tested, and see the sample being taken incorrectly, there is nothing wrong with mentioning something to the person taking your sample. Question: I am balding and don't have 1 1/2" of hair, do I not have to take the test? Answer: Yes you will. If you don't have 1 1/2" they will take the hair sample from another part of your body. One of the advantages of hair testing from the testers’ point of view is that it is less intrusive than asking someone to urinate in a cup. Taking a strand of hair from your head is quick and simple. Drug Testing Secrets Page 21 However, they will take a strand from another part of the body, usually starting with the least intrusive place. If you don't have the required length on your head, the lab will look for a strand with the correct length on your arm, leg, chest, underarm, or pubic areas, usually in that order. Most samples are taken from the chest or underarm area. Question: What will the lab do if I get a buzz cut and shave all the hair of my body? Answer: In this case, the lab will be forced to either use another testing method, or tell you to come back at a later time. Obviously if your hair is regularly 3 inches long, getting a buzz cut suddenly right before the test will lead to definite suspicion that you are trying to avoid getting tested. But if the hair on your head is already very short, then shaving all your body hair is a viable option. If you go this route, be prepared to be given another form of testing. In most cases you will be asked to take a urine, saliva, or even finger nail test. The finger nail test is rare, and very expensive to perform, but we have heard of it being used (Anheuser-Busch does finger nail testing if you do not have enough body hair for a hair test). What method they use if they can't get a hair sample from your body is determined by the instructions that the person requiring you to take the test gives to the lab. Question: Getting a buzz cut is out of the question for me, what are my other passing options? Answer: You'll hear from hair testing companies that their tests are impossible to beat. This is not necessarily true. However, some tests are much more difficult to pass than others. There are hundreds of different detoxifying shampoos out on the market all claiming to help you pass 100% of the time. This is not true either. Hair testing has gotten more advanced over the recent 3-4 years, and many of the products you will see out there once worked when hair testing was less advanced. Most products are now useless but still being sold. However there are a select few that have changed their formulas in response to the advancement, and those are the ones you should go with. Please see our detoxification product review section for the best hair detox products. Drug Testing Secrets Page 22 Question: Which labs have the hardest hair test to pass? Answer: Right now, the Psychemedics Corporation is the largest hair testing company in the US, and they also have the test that is hardest to beat. If you know that the lab you are going to is not Psychemedics, it does not mean your hair will not be tested there. Many labs are just collection agencies and will send the sample to Psychemedics for testing. We do know for a fact that some of the better hair detox products have passed a Psychemedics test, but the results are not as good as if it was sent to another lab. Again, please see our detoxification product review section for the best products available. Question: Will bleaching, dyeing or using household products on my hair help me pass a hair test? Answer: No. At one time when hair testing technology was less advanced it would have, but presently it will not help you pass. Question: Are some substances less detectable than others and does my frequency of use make a difference? Answer: Any type of use can show up on a test. If it made it to your blood stream, it most likely is in your hair strand. If you are an extremely light user (once or twice over a period of months), you may be able to get by without detection. But anything more than that is detectable. THC is also harder to detect in a hair test as well as easier to clean out with a good hair detox product. But substances like Cocaine and Ecstasy are much easier to detect and harder to cleanse from the hair. See our detoxification product review section for the best products available. Question: Do they do adulterant tests on hair samples? Answer: Not to our knowledge. We have never heard of anyone using a hair detox product and failing an adulterant test. This has a lot to do with the stance maintained by hair testing companies that their tests are unbeatable. But they will wash the hair before testing to remove Drug Testing Secrets Page 23 any masking agents. The cheaper detox products (that used to work) try to mask the drug, and these can be washed away by the lab. The better detox products available actually neutralize the drug metabolites in the hair strand, not mask them. Summary: Hair testing is by far the most difficult of all tests to pass. Even if you have a good hair detoxification product, there are so many variables that you have to overcome to get a clean test. For instance, most people have thousands of hair strands on their head. If you used even the best detox product, it would have to clean every hair strand completely and thoroughly. If the lab picked from an area (which could be anywhere) that was not totally cleansed, you could fail the test. Couple this with inexperienced collection people not following proper collection procedures, and you can see why hair testing can be difficult to pass. Drug Testing Secrets Page 24 Blood Testing Question: What do I need to know about blood testing for drugs? Answer: Blood testing measures the accurate presence of the drug or its metabolite at the time of testing. The results from this type of test are the best indication of intoxication. Blood testing for the use of drugs is primarily used in accident investigations and for health insurance or life insurance exams. If you are applying for an insurance policy, usually you have to give a blood and urine sample before you're approved for a policy. Many times the blood work is done to detect diseases, and the urine test is for illegal drugs or nicotine. However some insurance companies will test the blood for drugs as well. So to be safe, you should be prepared for both a urine and blood test. Blood testing for an employment position is very rare just because drugs can be detected up to six hours after consumption by testing blood; after that, the metabolite concentration falls rapidly, and the substance is not detectable in blood after 2-3 days, so it not a good indictor of long term drug use. Drugs can be detected in urine longer than in blood. Plus the fact that administering a blood test is more expensive than a urine test. Hospitals tend to do this type of testing because they are already set up for it. Question: What can I do to test negative on a blood test? Answer: The only way to pass a blood test is through abstinence or the accelerated permanent detoxification method discussed in the urine testing section (click here to go back and review these methods again.) Using a temporary detoxification system, like the many drinks and pills you see sold today, will not work for a blood test. We've seen some websites that are promoting these products to pass a blood test and it's a lie, so beware. Click here for an example of a website scam trying pass off a temporary urine detoxification product for blood and saliva testing as well. Busted! Drug Testing Secrets Page 25 However, there are some companies that sell accelerated permanent detoxification kits that we have tested and seem to work very well. You can find these in our detoxification product and website review section. Drug Testing Secrets Page 26 Saliva Testing Question: What do I need to know about saliva testing for drugs? Saliva testing has become more popular recently in the United States. What makes it so attractive to certain employers is that a saliva test can be done onsite, meaning no labs involved; it's quick, and not intrusive to the person being tested. A swab of the inside cheek is taken and rubbed on a test card that shows a positive or negative reading. The main reason why it's not as popular as urine testing is that the same problems exist with blood testing as with saliva testing. The drug metabolite level of your saliva is similar to what is currently in your blood. Very recent use can be picked up easily, but as time goes on, the drug metabolites levels drop dramatically, not giving a good indication of longer term use. Question: What can I do to test negative on a saliva test? Answer: If you take the same approach to passing a saliva test as you do a blood test, you will not have a problem testing negative. As mentioned above, drug metabolite levels in the blood correspond to those in the saliva. So if you used the abstinence or accelerated permanent detoxification methods outlined in the urine testing section, you'll have no problem passing a saliva test. There are some companies that sell accelerated permanent detoxification kits that we have tested and seem to work very well for saliva testing. You can find these in our detoxification product and website review section. Some other steps you should take is to drink plenty of fluids in the days before the test, have a few pieces of Certs peppermint candy beforehand, and rinse with Listerine mouthwash before the test. Take all these steps and you'll be able to pass a saliva test. But most importantly, keep in mind that since the saliva test is very sensitive to recent drug use, you should abstain from any usage in the days before a saliva test. Drug Testing Secrets Page 27 Finger Nail Testing Question: What do I need to know about finger nail testing for drugs? Answer: Finger nail testing is not widely used. This is good news because it's extremely difficult to pass. In fact, we do not know one effective method to pass the test. Fingernail testing can very accurately detect drugs of abuse for up to 5-6 months; however the downfall is the inability to test recent drug use. The lab will shave a thin layer of your fingernail to take a sample. A fingernail sample can be up to 6 months old, so if someone wanted to see your recent drug use, fingernail testing would not be an accurate way to do so. Question: What can I do to test negative on a fingernail test? Answer: Currently we do not know of any legitimate way to pass a finger nail test. But since it's such a rare test at this time, it has not been much of a concern. However, we are currently exploring and testing these passing methods. If you are concerned about getting tested with this method, please contact us at [email protected] Drug Testing Secrets Page 28 Sweat Patch Testing Question: What do I need to know about sweat patch testing for drugs? Answer: Sweat Patch testing is a method whereby an adhesive patch (similar to a band aid) is worn for a period of a few days to weeks at a time. The sweat your body excretes is picked up by the patch and then tested for drug metabolites. Its main usage is in the criminal justice field (monitoring probation and parole drug use) and outpatient drug treatment facilities. Sweat patch testing is very rarely used for workplace testing. Question: What can I do to test negative on a sweat patch test? Answer: If you have used drugs after you have been given a sweat patch to wear, there is nothing you can do to pass. However, if you know you will be given one, and have used in the past, please follow the abstinence or accelerated permanent detoxification methods discussed in the urine testing section. Be sure to do anything to perspire as frequently as possible, while drinking plenty of water. Drug Testing Secrets Page 29 Additional Testing Information Question: How do I handle random drug testing? Answer: Random drug testing is being instituted more in the workplace than ever before. Most random tests are administered through urine testing, although saliva tests are used as well. The problem that random testing presents is that there is no time for you to do anything to get clean from the time you are told you were selected to the time you have to take the test. Many people make the mistake of thinking that a temporary detoxification drink or pill will help them for a random urine test. Many of these products are marketed to get you clean in 1 hour, and will keep you clean for up to 6 hours. So at first glance this seems like a viable option. However, the directions that you must follow for these products to work correctly will not help you in a random testing situation. The directions to use a temporary detoxification product requires you to not have used any substance you need to be clean of 48 hours prior to the day of the test as well as having 8-12 hours of an empty stomach before taking the product. Since you don't know the day you'll be picked, and you smoked marijuana the night before, the temporary drink will not work since it has not been 48 hours since you last used. Also, if you were picked for a test right after you ate lunch, you would not have the needed time of an empty stomach. Having an empty stomach is crucial for a temporary detoxification system to work, if you have eaten right before, the food will interfere with the flushing action. With that said, here are the viable options for passing a random drug test: Urine substitution via using someone else's urine or a synthetic urine product is probably your best bet for random testing. You can review more detailed information about this method by clicking here. Please note that this is illegal and if you get caught you can get in trouble. Drug Testing Secrets Page 30 Quit using drugs - The only other way to pass if you are being random tested. It may sound like a bold step, but if you want to keep your job, and don't want to use urine substitution, then this is your only choice. If you have been using and were just informed that you'll be subjected to random tests, and decide to quit and clean up, you may need to use the accelerated permanent detoxification option outline in the urine testing section. There are some companies that sell accelerated permanent detoxification kits that we have tested and seem to work very well for saliva testing. You can find these in our detoxification product and website review section. Note: There is no way to pass random hair or fingernail testing if you are currently using substances that are being tested for. Question: I don't know what type of drug test I will be given, how do I find out? Answer: Below are the best ways to get accurate information as to what type of drug test you will be given: If applying for a new job, ask a friend who already works there. Ask the person interviewing you. It may seem suspicious that you ask; however, act clueless, like you've never heard of drug testing before. Say something like "Drug Testing? What's that all about" If you do it in this way you won't seem like your concerned and may be able to get a response like "Yes, we require that you give a urine sample to test for drug use". We know people who have done this and it works. Remember, just play dumb for a few seconds. Call the lab anonymously. Many times after you get hired for a job, you get a package from the company that includes a starting date schedule. In that schedule they usually mention the drug test and what lab you have to go to. Find the phone number of the lab and make a phone call. Get creative when you call. You can ask them straight out what type of drug test they give for your company. Remember it's an anonymous call, so use a fake name if you have to. Another way to find out is to call and say you're from the human resources department Drug Testing Secrets Page 31 of XYZ company (make up a name) and that you are interested in their drug testing services for your employees. Ask them what type of drug testing they do, and you'll have an idea what you're up against. You can also ask a friend or family member to do this for you if you really feel uncomfortable making the call yourself. Question: What's the deal with the 100%, 200 % , and even 300% guarantees all these products give? Answer: Any site that gives a 100% money back guarantee is ok in our book. It seems fair and realistic. But when we see 200% and 300% guarantees, we get a little wary. Here is the deal. Many sites, if you fail a test and ask for a refund, will refer you to the manufacturer of the product, and not give you the refund themselves. When you call or mail your refund request to the manufacturer, they will tell you they can not refund your money because they were not allowed to help you pass a drug test to begin with (they claim it's not what their product was intended for). So to avoid this happening, always find out who will issue the refund if you fail before you purchase, if the distributor tells you the manufacturer, beware. Conclusion You should now have a much clearer idea about drug testing and your passing options. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]. Please include your receipt number with your email, as we only answer questions for those that purchased Drug Testing Secrets. In order for us to answer all questions in a timely manner, please be sure that the answer to your question is not already contained in this eBook. Thanks, good luck, and enjoy the bonus section! Drug Testing Secrets Page 32 Detoxification Product and Website Reviews Finding a good detoxification product can be confusing and frustrating. How do you know what's good and what's not? Everyone claims to have the best product, but that's just not the case. What we have done is rate the services of detoxification websites as well as their products. The way we went about this is first by asking for samples, and if we could not get a sample, we purchased the products. We then tested the systems using home drug testing kits (in the case of hair testing, we sent the sample to a lab, since there are no home testing kits for hair testing). Poor Ratings The first thing we did to narrow down the playing field is eliminate any distributors of junk products. Understand that while many of these sites look real good, many of them are just distributors of the same products. All they did was have a good web designer create their site (in some cases bad web designers), but one site is no different than the next because they are selling the same product. Below is a list of these sites we eliminated right off the bat as distributors of the same ineffective products. Website: varies Product: Clear Choice Rating: Poor Products: Temporary Urine detoxification, and hair detoxification products. Product Review It is our finding that Clear Choice is a very ineffective product. Our home urine tests came back positive after following the directions on the bottle 2 out of 4 times (all tried on 4 different THC users). The Clear Choice hair detoxification is among the worst Drug Testing Secrets Page 33 available today. Don't be fooled by the low price and 200% money back guarantees they offer. Website Distributors - The following websites all distribute Clear Choice products: www.herbalremedies.com www.clearchoiceofny.com www.theclearchoice.com www.testnegative.com www.passingpisstests.com www.cleartest.com www.beatanydrugtest.com www.magicvan.com www.passing-drug-test.com www.passthedrugtest.com www.pass-anv-drug-test.com www.bdtzone.com Website: www.thcfree.com Product: MC1 The Grasshopper Rating: Poor Products: Temporary urine detoxification Review Product Results - We tested this product on a heavy THC user, and the test came back positive for THC. We were a little wary of this product when reviewing the website to begin with. It claims to block THC from passing through the urine, which is untrue. We know of no product that can specifically target THC and blocks it from going into the urine. So the idea that this is some magic pill in our opinion is a lie. What you have here is a temporary detoxification product that works the same way as all the others (except not as good). Website: www.passyourdrugtest.com Product: Various Drug Testing Secrets Page 34 Rating: Fair to Poor Products: Temporary urine detoxification accelerated permanent detoxification, hair follicle detoxification system and urine additives. Website Review This site is probably the most popular of all detoxification sites. However, the service is horrible. We never ordered anything because the toll free telephone number just rings, not even voicemail. We emailed and never got a response. They have a live customer service chat room on the website that we tried, which someone did actually answer. When asking questions about the products, the person on the other end could not even answer simple product questions. And when we brought up the problem of poor service, we got an attitude from the customer service rep (he replied, "whatever")! If the service is indicative of the products they sell, you'll fail your test. I would highly advise not purchasing anything from this company. Shady at best. Positive Ratings Website: www.testingclean.com Product: Various Rating: Best Products: Temporary urine detoxification, accelerated permanent detoxification and hair follicle detoxification system Website Review This site gets our top rating because of its high level of service and quality products. When we called their toll free number someone actually answered the call. The customer service rep was polite, knowledgeable about their product line, and did not try to force a sale on us. She was upfront about what to expect and did not give us unrealistic passing Drug Testing Secrets Page 35 percentages for their products. The owner of the company even agreed to send us samples of their best products for no charge. Here is what we found: Temporary urine detoxification system: Their best temporary product is one called Failsafe, which included a set of 16 tea bags, 10 pills, and 2 test kits. The directions were very specific and also included some additional helpful passing tips. Product tested negative (clean) on a heavy THC user and passed an adulterant test as well. You have to be home before your test to use this system because it requires brewing a gallon of tea. They also have other systems that can be used for a situation if you can't be home before your test. Accelerated permanent detoxification system (for urine, blood and saliva testing): These systems were packaged very nicely, including a detailed diet menu, specially designed mineral tablet and liquid for toxin absorption, and 2 test kits. They come in different grades depending on your usage level, and strongest kits even include a temporary detoxification system. We tested their top system on a heavy THC user with a height of 5' 9" and 180 pounds, and he tested clean after finishing the program. Keep in mind that the heavier you are (more fat cells you have), it may take a bit longer to be clean. Consult with a customer service rep if this may be your case. Hair follicle detoxification system: This site has two versions of a hair detox system; one for a light user and one for a heavy user. The product for the heavy user is called Afterburner, and from the results we have seen, this is the best product on the market for passing a hair test. We tested a heavy user of THC with Afterburner and the test came back negative. The rep told us that since hair testing is very difficult to pass, that the results are not 100%, but their passing rate for THC is around 95% and other substances like cocaine, meth, and ecstasy is around 85% (nice to get a little honesty for a change). Drug Testing Secrets Page 36 Never trust a hair product that guarantees 100% success rate. Also, a tough testing lab, like Psychemedics (mention in our hair testing section), is tougher to pass, but still very possible. Website: www.howtopassadrugtest.com Product: Various Rating: Good Products: Temporary urine detoxification, accelerated permanent detoxification and hair follicle detoxification system. Website Review We called this company and the reps were very friendly and knowledgeable about their products. Temporary urine detoxification system: We wanted to try one of their fast working temporary systems, and tried the Doctor Clean Super Quick Capsules. We tested this product on a heavy THC user and she tested negative (clean) for THC. Accelerated permanent detoxification system (for urine, blood and saliva testing): They have these systems available, but we were unable to test them due to availability. Hair follicle detoxification system: Also carries Afterburner as well as other hair detox products. We suggest using only Afterburner for hair testing. Website: www.urinetheclear.com Product: Urine substitution kit Rating: Good Products: Urine substitution kit Website Review Drug Testing Secrets Page 37 We called this company and the owner answered the phone (always a good sign). These kits come with a plastic urine pouch, filled with real clean human urine (you can get the urine in a frozen or dehydrated form), a heater, and directions. The urine from this system gave a negative (clean) result when we tested it ourselves. Please read our section on urine substitution systems so you know the risks of using this type of system. Not for everyone, but certainly an excellent way to go if it fits your situation. What to Do If You Test Positive It really depends on your employer, state or local jurisdiction about what will happen to you if you fail your drug test. An employer might have the right to fire or deny you a promotion, while potential employers might refuse to hire you. If you're fired for failing a drug test or injure yourself and test positive, your state might even deny you unemployment, worker's compensation or disability benefits. Of course, the Federal Government encourages treatment and rehab. Not every employer, state or jurisdiction has a mandatory zero tolerance policy, so you might get a second chance. Instead of firing you, your employer might offer some sort of employee assistance program or ask you to seek help on your own, like a drug treatment program. It costs employers a lot of money to fire employees and hire replacements. So, treatment programs might be cheaper for the employer. But if you refuse, you're likely out of a job, even if you're a responsible, recreational drug user who doesn't really need help with your drug or alcohol use. Even if you accept, your employer might be under no obligation to give you time off for treatment, with or without pay. But they might allow you to use up your sick time. The best thing for you to do is research your company’s policies about drug use and testing. Drug Testing Secrets Page 38 You don't have to submit to drug testing if you don't want to. However, the consequences might be about the same as if you failed the test, because you're guilty until proven innocent under the current program. And depending on the state or local jurisdiction, an employer might have the right to fire or deny you promotion, and potential employers might refuse to hire you. Research does show however, that you are unlikely to be arrested for failing a drug test. There's too much controversy over privacy invasion and test accuracy for that to happen unless you have actually committed a crime like selling it to co-workers or something. It's an evidence thing too, and molecules in your urine are not the same as an ounce stashed in your back pocket. However, you can get arrested if you're caught using or carrying drugs on the job and your employer reports it to the authorities. You might lose your job, too. You should be aware that your employer can spy on you without your knowledge. There are hidden cameras everywhere these days, even in seemingly safe places like storerooms. There are pending lawsuits going on right now that challenge drug testing as a violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Employees and candidates have sued and won, even though they tested positive. In some cases, they've won simply because employers did not abide by the law. Here are some things that constitute your employer not abiding by the laws regarding drug testing: Employers should limit discipline for employees who test positive the first time Employers make employees pay for a test They limit testing only to jobs in which safety or security is a concern Forbid random drug testing Drug Testing Secrets Page 39 The bottom line regarding employee lawsuits is that, if you fail or refuse to take a drug test and suffer consequences, you might be able to challenge it in court. But you will have to see an attorney about that because your case may not apply. If you are not a drug user and you fail the drug screening, you should be as straightforward with the employer as possible, let them know that you are not a drug user and ask them if they would please do a confirmation test. Recent estimates from the Journal of Analytic Toxicology showed that error rates of 5 to 14% for these tests. Drug Testing Secrets Page 40 When to Get an Attorney When your financial situation or civil rights are in serious jeopardy, you should get legal help. If you are wondering what constitutes serious; a simple possession charge is a brush with the law, but you need not consult with an attorney to pay the fine or even to fight it. The biggest question to ask yourself is whether or not you have been in trouble for drugs or been arrested for it in the past. For example, if you've been caught with much drugs in the past and you have been arrested, you may want to hire a lawyer who can help you best resolve the situation, and perhaps save you money and hopefully keep you out of jail. You don't have to be in trouble to call a lawyer. In non-adversarial situations, use common sense and a little bit of business savvy in deciding if you might benefit from good advice of counsel. In good times as well as bad, with a lawyer's help, individuals understand and secure their legal rights and financial interests. With good legal advice, clients often comply with and swiftly navigate through, the complex mazes of federal and state regulations. And everybody can rest easily after consulting experienced lawyers for important undertakings such as keeping you free and a little money left in the bank. Before you consult a lawyer, you have to realize that you have a problem and think you want a lawyer to represent you. First, think about if you can resolve the situation to your satisfaction without hiring an attorney. You don’t have to rush to a lawyer either, take your time. Sometimes you have lots of time to consider your alternatives. In other situations, you need to act fast. If prosecutors have accused you of a crime, or law enforcement authorities are questioning you about your involvement in a serious criminal matter, consult a lawyer immediately. In other situations, your objective may be less clear. If you feel your employer unlawfully fired you, you might want to get your job back. Before you hire a lawyer, think about Drug Testing Secrets Page 41 what you want to achieve. Be realistic about your chances of winning and what your case is worth. If you aren't sure what your legal rights are, it might be worth your time and expense to retain a lawyer to evaluate your situation and advise you on alternative courses of action. Paying a few hundred dollars for a two-hour consultation with an attorney could be a very wise investment that ultimately can save you time and money. Many attorneys specialize in one type of law. Other lawyers handle a wide range of matters. You want to hire an attorney with expertise in your type of case or matter. Knowing a bit about the law will help you become a smarter legal consumer. If you are in need of a lawyer please shop around first. Accusations of drug use, whether true or false, almost always result in the ordering of drug testing. A drug test can be a valuable tool to assist in determining the use of a drug by an individual, but the use of this tool must be balanced against the fact that drug testing is not always accurate. If you are ever asked (or ordered) to take a drug test, follow the guidelines below to ensure that your rights are preserved during this process. Use of this advice should be balanced against the possible adverse effects of the action and the potential loss if a negative result is returned. These are your rights, but you should use them appropriately. Drug Testing Secrets Page 42 Glossary In this part, the terms listed in this BOOK have the following meanings: Adulterated specimen. A specimen that contains a substance that is not expected to be present in human urine, or contains a substance expected to be present but is at a concentration so high that it is not consistent with human urine. Affiliate. Persons are affiliates of one another if, directly or indirectly, one controls or has the power to control the other, or a third party controls or has the power to control both. Indicators of control include, but are not limited to: interlocking management or ownership; shared interest among family members; shared facilities or equipment; or common use of employees. Following the issuance of a public interest exclusion, an organization having the same or similar management, ownership, or principal employees as the service agent concerning whom a public interest exclusion is in effect is regarded as an affiliate. Air blank. In evidential breath testing devices (EBTs) using gas chromatography technology, a reading of the device's internal standard. In all other EBTs, a reading of ambient air containing no alcohol. Alcohol. The intoxicating agent in beverage alcohol, ethyl alcohol or other low molecular weight alcohols, including methyl or isopropyl alcohol. Alcohol concentration. The alcohol in a volume of breath expressed in terms of grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath as indicated by a breath test under this part. Alcohol confirmation test. A subsequent test using an EBT, following a screening test with a result of 0.02 or greater, that provides quantitative data about the alcohol concentration. Drug Testing Secrets Page 43 Alcohol screening device (ASD). A breath or saliva device, other than an EBT, that is approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and placed on a conforming products list (CPL) for such devices. Alcohol screening test. An analytic procedure to determine whether an employee may have a prohibited concentration of alcohol in a breath or saliva specimen. Alcohol testing site. A place selected by the employer where employees present themselves for the purpose of providing breath or saliva for an alcohol test. Alcohol use. The drinking or swallowing of any beverage, liquid mixture or preparation (including any medication), containing alcohol. Blind specimen or blind performance test specimen. A specimen submitted to a laboratory for quality control testing purposes, with a fictitious identifier, so that the laboratory cannot distinguish it from an employee specimen. Breath Alcohol Technician (BAT). A person who instructs and assists employees in the alcohol testing process and operates an evidential breath testing device. Cancelled test. A drug or alcohol test that has a problem identified that cannot be or has not been corrected, or which this part otherwise requires to be cancelled. A cancelled test is neither a positive nor a negative test. Chain of custody. The procedure used to document the handling of the urine specimen from the time the employee gives the specimen to the collector until the specimen is destroyed. This procedure uses the Federal Drug Testing Custody and Control Form (CCF). Collection container. A container into which the employee urinates to provide the specimen for a drug test. Drug Testing Secrets Page 44 Collection site. A place selected by the employer where employees present themselves for the purpose of providing a urine specimen for a drug test. Collector. A person who instructs and assists employees at a collection site, who receives and makes an initial inspection of the specimen provided by those employees, and who initiates and completes the CCF. Confirmation (or confirmatory) drug test. A second analytical procedure performed on a urine specimen to identify and quantify the presence of a specific drug or drug metabolite. Confirmation (or confirmatory) validity test. A second test performed on a urine specimen to further support a validity test result. Confirmed drug test. A confirmation test result received by an MRO from a laboratory. Consortium/ Third-party administrator (C/TPA). A service agent that provides or coordinates the provision of a variety of drug and alcohol testing services to employers. C/TPAs typically perform administrative tasks concerning the operation of the employers' drug and alcohol testing programs. This term includes, but is not limited to, groups of employers who join together to administer, as a single entity, the DOT drug and alcohol testing programs of its members. C/TPAs are not "employers" for purposes of this part. Continuing education. Training for medical review officers (MROs) and substance abuse professionals (SAPs) who have completed qualification training and are performing MRO or SAP functions, designed to keep MROs and SAPs current on changes and developments in the DOT drug and alcohol testing program. Designated employer representative (DER). An employee authorized by the employer to take immediate action(s) to remove employees from safety-sensitive duties, or cause employees to be removed from these covered duties, and to make required decisions in Drug Testing Secrets Page 45 the testing and evaluation processes. The DER also receives test results and other communications for the employer, consistent with the requirements of this part. Service agents cannot act as DERs. Dilute specimen. A specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are lower than expected for human urine. DOT, The Department, DOT agency. These terms encompass all DOT agencies, including, but not limited to, the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), and the Office of the Secretary (OST). These terms include any designee of a DOT agency. Drugs. The drugs for which tests are required under this part and DOT agency regulations are marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), and opiates. Employee. Any person who is designated in a DOT agency regulation as subject to drug testing and/or alcohol testing. The term includes individuals currently performing safetysensitive functions designated in DOT agency regulations and applicants for employment subject to pre-employment testing. For purposes of drug testing under this part, the term employee has the same meaning as the term "donor" as found on CCF and related guidance materials produced by the Department of Health and Human Services. Employer. A person or entity employing one or more employees (including an individual who is self-employed) subject to DOT agency regulations requiring compliance with this part. The term includes an employer’s officers, representatives, and management personnel. Service agents are not employers for the purposes of this part. Drug Testing Secrets Page 46 Error Correction Training. Training provided to BATs, collectors, and screening test technicians (STTs) following an error that resulted in the cancellation of a drug or alcohol test. Error correction training must be provided in person or by a means that provides real-time observation and interaction between the instructor and trainee. Evidential Breath Testing Device (EBT). A device approved by NHTSA for the evidential testing of breath at the .02 and .04 alcohol concentrations, placed on NHTSA's Conforming Products List (CPL) for “Evidential Breath Measurement Devices” and identified on the CPL as conforming with the model specifications available from NHTSA’s Traffic Safety Program. HHS. The Department of Health and Human Services or any designee of the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services. Initial drug test. The test used to differentiate a negative specimen from one that requires further testing for drugs or drug metabolites. Initial validity test. The first test used to determine if a specimen is adulterated, diluted, or substituted. Invalid drug test. The result of a drug test for a urine specimen that contains an unidentified adulterant or an unidentified interfering substance, has abnormal physical characteristics, or has an endogenous substance at an abnormal concentration that prevents the laboratory from completing or obtaining a valid drug test result. Laboratory. Any U.S. laboratory certified by HHS under the National Laboratory Certification Program as meeting the minimum standards of Subpart C of the HHS Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs; or, in the case of foreign laboratories, a laboratory approved for participation by DOT under this part. Drug Testing Secrets Page 47 Medical Review Officer (MRO). A person who is a licensed physician and who is responsible for receiving and reviewing laboratory results generated by an employer's drug testing program and evaluating medical explanations for certain drug test results. Office of Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance (ODAPC). The office in the Office of the Secretary, DOT, that is responsible for coordinating drug and alcohol testing program matters within the Department and providing information concerning the implementation of this part. Primary specimen. In drug testing, the urine specimen bottle that is opened and tested by a first laboratory to determine whether the employee has a drug or drug metabolite in his or her system; and for the purpose of validity testing. The primary specimen is distinguished from the split specimen, defined in this section. Qualification Training. The training required in order for a collector, BAT, MRO, SAP, or STT to be qualified to perform their functions in the DOT drug and alcohol testing program. Qualification training may be provided by any appropriate means (e.g., classroom instruction, internet application, CD-ROM, video). Refresher Training. The training required periodically for qualified collectors, BATs, and STTs to review basic requirements and provide instruction concerning changes in technology (e.g., new testing methods that may be authorized) and amendments, interpretations, guidance, and issues concerning this part and DOT agency drug and alcohol testing regulations. Refresher training can be provided by any appropriate means (e.g., classroom instruction, internet application, CD-ROM, video). Screening Test Technician (STT). A person who instructs and assists employees in the alcohol testing process and operates an ASD. Secretary. The Secretary of Transportation or the Secretary's designee. Drug Testing Secrets Page 48 Service agent. Any person or entity, other than an employee of the employer, who provides services specified under this part to employers and/or employees in connection with DOT drug and alcohol testing requirements. This includes, but is not limited to, collectors, BATs and STTs, laboratories, MROs, substance abuse professionals, and C/TPAs. To act as service agents, persons and organizations must meet the qualifications set forth in applicable sections of this part. Service agents are not employers for purposes of this part. Shipping container. A container that is used for transporting and protecting urine specimen bottles and associated documents from the collection site to the laboratory. Specimen bottle. The bottle that, after being sealed and labeled according to the procedures in this part, is used to hold the urine specimen during transportation to the laboratory. Split specimen. In drug testing, a part of the urine specimen that is sent to a first laboratory and retained unopened, and which is transported to a second laboratory in the event that the employee requests that it be tested following a verified positive test of the primary specimen or a verified adulterated or substituted test result. Stand-down. The practice of temporarily removing an employee from the performance of safety-sensitive functions based only on a report from a laboratory to the MRO of a confirmed positive test for a drug or drug metabolite, an adulterated test, or a substituted test, before the MRO has completed verification of the test result. Substance Abuse Professional (SAP). A person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare. Substituted specimen. A specimen with creatinine and specific gravity values that are so diminished that they are not consistent with human urine. Drug Testing Secrets Page 49 Verified test. A drug test result or validity testing result from an HHS-certified laboratory that has undergone review and final determination by the MRO Drug Testing Secrets Page 50 Drug Test Slang Terms ACAPULCO GOLD - a very potent strain of marijuana from Acapulco, Mexico. ACID - LSD ACID HEAD - user of LSD, "Acid Freak" AIRHEAD - under the influence of marijuana ALCOHOL - booze, juice, sauce ALLEY JUICE - very cheap wine, "Grapes" AMPHETAMINES - speed, crystal, crank, meth, black beauties, bennies, uppers, dexies, 357 magnums ANGEL DUST - Phencyclidine or PCP ARTILLERY - equipment for shooting drugs BACK-UP - permitting blood to back up into a syringe to ensure the needle is in a vein BAD TRIP - unpleasant LSD experience BAG - packet of drugs, usually a standard amount for sale BAG MAN - person who transports money BALLOON - small amount of contained narcotics BANG - to inject narcotics BARBS - Barbiturates; "downers, "reds" Drug Testing Secrets Page 51 BEAN - capsules for drugs BEAT - to cheat someone BENNIES - Benzedrine; "peaches" BIG C - Cocaine BIG CHIEF- Mescaline BIG MAN - supplier of drugs BINDLE - a small packet of drug powder BLACK BEAUTIES - Amphetamines BLACK HOLLIES - Amphetamines BLACK-OUT - amnesia for events occurring while heavily intoxicated with alcohol, other sedative/hypnotic drugs BLACK RUSSIAN - Hashish BLASTED - high on drugs BLAZE - Marijuana BLOTTERS - LSD BLOW - smoke Marijuana; sniff Cocaine BLUE DEVILS - Amobarbital BLUES - Valium Drug Testing Secrets Page 52 BLUNTS - a cigar slit open and filled with marijuana BOMBED OUT - very much intoxicated by narcotics BOMBITA - mixture of Cocaine & Heroin BONG - a cylindrical water pipe for smoking narcotics, especially Marijuana BOOST - to steal BOOZE - alcohol (beer, wine, liquor) BREAD - money BRICK - a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of tightly compacted Marijuana or Hashish BRING DOWN - come off a drug BROKER - go-between for a drug deal BUDS - Marijuana BUMMER - bad experience with drugs BUNDLE - multiple bags of a drug BURN - cheated bv a pusher BURNOUT - heavy user of drugs BUSTED - arrested on a drug-related charge BUTTONS - peyote or mushrooms BUY - purchase drugs Drug Testing Secrets Page 53 BUZZED - mildly intoxicated CACTUS - Mescaline or Peyote CANDY - Barbiturates or Cocaine CANDY MAN - drug supplier CAPS - drug capsule CARTWHEELS - Amphetamines CHARGED UP - under the influence of drugs CHASING THE DRAGON - a particular way of inhaling Heroin CHINA WHITE - a very pure white Heroin CHIPPING - occasional use of drugs CHIPPY - person who uses drugs infrequently CLEAN - drug free; not having drugs in one's possession COASTING - being high on drugs COCAINE - crack, coke, booth, blow, railers, snow, ringer, divits, toot, cola, rocks, blast, white dust, ivory flakes, nose candy, mobbeles COKE BROKE - financially incapacitated from supporting Cocaine habit COLD TURKEY - sudden withdrawal from drugs COLOMBO - Marijuana grown in Columbia Drug Testing Secrets Page 54 COME DOWN - the ending of a drug experience CONNECT - to purchase drugs CONNECTION - supplier of drugs COOKER - usually a spoon or bottle cap used to heat drugs for injection COP - to obtain drugs COP-OUT - to evade an issue CRACK - Cocaine prepared for smoking CRASH - to sleep off the effects of drugs CRYSTALS - Methamphetamine CUT - to adulterate drugs CUT OUT - to leave from someplace DAGGA - South African word for Marijuana DEALER - someone who sells illegal drugs DECK - a packet of drugs DEXIES - Dexedrine, or"dex" DIME BAG - $10 worth of a narcotic DOLLIES - Methadone DOPE - a general term for drugs of abuse Drug Testing Secrets Page 55 DOWNS - depressants such as Barbiturates, Tranquilizers DRIED OUT - having gone through a withdrawal program for drugs or alcohol DROP - to take a drugs orally; a place where money or drugs are left DRUGGIE - a narcotic user or addict DRUNK PILLS - Valium DUST - narcotics in powder form DUSTING - sprinkling a narcotic powder on another drug such as PCP on Marijuana DYNAMITE - high quality, potent drugs EASY SCORE - obtaining drugs without difficulty EIGHTH - one-eighth of a pound of drugs ELEPHANT - PCP EXPERIENCE - trip on LSD FACTORY - place where illicit drugs are prepared for sale FIX - an injection of drugs FLAKE -Cocaine FLASHBACK - recurrence of previous hallucinations FLEA POWDER - poor quality drugs FLIP OUT - become psychotic or irrational Drug Testing Secrets Page 56 FLYING - under the influence of drugs FOOTBALL - Amphetamines FREAK OUT - a bad trip; an unexpected reaction to a drug FREEBASE - smoking Cocaine from a special water pipe FREEZE - to renege on a drug transaction FRONT - to put money out before receiving the merchandise FUZZ - the police GANJA - the Jamaican word for Marijuana GET OFF - feel a drug's effects GET ON - use drugs for the first time GLUEY - a glue sniffer GOLD - Marijuana, also called Acapulco GOODS - drugs GOOFBALLS - Barbiturates GRAM - a metric measure of weight GRASS - Marijuana GUN - equipment for injecting drugs HAPPY DUST - Cocaine Drug Testing Secrets Page 57 HARD STUFF - narcotics HASH - Marijuana HAY - Marijuana HEAD - someone who uses drugs frequently HEAD SHOP - store specializing in the sale of drug paraphernalia HEARTS - Dexedrine HEAVEN - Cocaine HEAVENLY BLUE - morning glory seeds; a hallucinogen HEAVY BURNER - a person who smokes a lot of dope, a burnout HEELED - having plenty of money HERB - Marijuana HEROIN - china white, fix, horse, smack, whack, mother pearl, H. junk HIGH - to be intoxicated on drugs HIP-HOP - refers to a culture that includes rap music, art, dance, fashion, attitude HIT- a single dose of drugs HOG - PCP HOLDING - in possession of drugs HOME GROWN - locally grown Marijuana; local weed; ditch weed Drug Testing Secrets Page 58 HOOKED - addicted HOPPED UP - under the influence of drugs HORSE - Heroin HOT - wanted by authorities HOT SHOT - fatal injection of drugs HUFFER - glue sniffer HUFFING - inhaling solvents from a bag HUSTLE - attempt to obtain drug customers HYPE - narcotic addict ICE CREAM HABIT - occasional drug use IN - connected with drug suppliers ISOMERIZES - used to increase potency of THC in Marijuana JAG - extended period of using a drug JIVE - Marijuana JOINT - a Marijuana cigarette JOY POPPING - occasional use of drugs JUICE - Alcohol JUNK - Heroin, so named because it's never pure when sold on the street Drug Testing Secrets Page 59 JUNKIE - an opiate addict KEY- kilogram KICK - to stop using drugs KICKBACK - relapse back into drug usage KIDDIE DOPE - usually prescription drugs KIF - North African word for Marijuana KILLER - strong drug KILLER WEED - strong Marijuana, or marijuana sprinkled with PCP KILO - 2.2 Ibs., also "KEY" KIT - equipment used to inject drugs LAUGHING GAS - Nitrous Oxide (inhalant) LEMONADE - poor-quality drugs LETTUCE - money LEAPERS - Amphetamines LID - one ounce or less of Marijuana LINE - a dose of Cocaine arranged in a line on a smooth surface LOAD - a large quantity of drugs LOADED - high on drugs or alcohol Drug Testing Secrets Page 60 LOCKER ROOM - Butyl Nitrate (inhalant) LSD - acid, microdots, purple haze, blotters, fry, blaze, tab, dose, gel, pyramid, trips LUDES - Methaqualone; Quaaludes, Valium MAINLINE - inject a drug directly into a vein, to "shoot up" MAINLINER - a person who injects directly into the vein MAN - police MANICURE - remove seeds from marijuana MARIJUANA - buds, bhang, dope, goof butt, grass, hash, hay, hemp, herb, jive, pot, rope, stinkweed, stuff, tea, weed, wacky tobaccky, whack, MARY JANE - Marijuana MARIJUANA CIGARETTE - bone, doobie, joint, J, reefer, spiff MATCHBOX - measurement for a small amount of Marijuana MESCALINE - mess, crystal MEET - buyer and seller get together MERCHANDISE - drugs METHADONE - junk, Burdock, jungle juice MICRODOT - a tablet containing LSD MISS EMMA - Morphine Drug Testing Secrets Page 61 MONKEY - drug dependency; a kilogram of a narcotic MULE - a carrier of drugs MUNCHIES - the hunger that follows after using Marijuana MUSHROOMS - magic mushrooms, shrooms, mushies NAILED - arrested NARC - narcotic agent NEEDLE FREAK - a person who prefers to take drugs with a needle NICKEL BAG - a $5 bag of drugs NORML - National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; lobbies for lenient drug laws NUGGET - Marijuana O.D. - overdosed on drugs ON - under the influence of a drug ON A TRIP - under the influence of drugs ON ICE - in jail ON THE NOD - under the influence of narcotics or depressants OUT OF IT - under the influence of drugs O.Z. - one ounce Drug Testing Secrets Page 62 PAKALOLO - Hawaiian term for Marijuana PANAMA GOLD, RED - potent Marijuana grown in Panama PANIC - drugs not available PAPERS - rolling papers, used to make marijuana or tobacco cigarettes PARAPHERNALIA - accessories used to take drugs PCP - (Phencyclidine) angel dust, kools sherms, high, wet daddies, dust, juice PEACE PILLS - PCP PEPSI HABIT - occasional use of drugs PEANUTS - Barbiturates PEYOTE - hallucinogenic cactus, buttons PICKUP - purchase drugs PIECE - usually one ounce of drugs PINKS - Second (Barbiturate) PLANT - a hiding place for drugs POPPERS - Amyl Nitrate capsules (inhalant) POT - Marijuana POT HEAD - Marijuana user Drug Testing Secrets Page 63 POWER HITTER - a device (often plastic) used to deliver a blast of Marijuana smoke to the lungs QUACK - doctor RAINBOWS - Barbiturate RAP - to talk with someone; or charged with a crime RED DEVILS - Seconal (Barbiturate) REEFER - Marijuana RIG - the paraphernalia for injecting drugs RIDING THE WAVE - under the influence of drugs RIPPED OFF- robbed ROACH - the stub of a Marijuana cigarette ROACH CLIP - any tweezers-like device used to hold a Marijuana cigarette stub that is too short to hold in the- fingers RUSH - an intense surge of pleasure; Butyl Nitrate inhalant SAUCE - alcohol SCAT - Heroin SCHOOL BOY - Codeine SCORE - to locate and purchase a quantity of drugs SCRIPT WRITER - a Doctor willing to write a prescription for faked symptoms Drug Testing Secrets Page 64 SET UP - to arrange to have a person arrested for drugs; combination of uppers and downers (Barbiturates and Amphetamines) SHOOTING GALLERY - place where addicts inject drugs SHOOT UP - to inject intravenously SHOTGUN - a way of smoking Marijuana, by blowing smoke back through the joint into another's mouth SINSEMILLA OR SINS - a potent type of Marijuana without seeds grown in Northern California SKIN POPPING - to inject a drug under the skin SMACK- Heroin SNAPPERS - Amyl Nitrate capsules (inhalant) SNORT - to inhale Cocaine through the nostrils SNOW - Cocaine SNOW BIRD - dependent on Cocaine SPACE CADET - habitual user of Marijuana SPACED OUT - under the influence of drugs SPACED - unresponsive to surroundings SPEED - Amphetamines SPEEDBALL - a mixture of Cocaine and Heroin; "Bombita" Drug Testing Secrets Page 65 SPEED FREAK - person who repeatedly takes Amphetamines, usually intravenously SPIKE - needle used to inject drugs SPOONS - paraphernalia associated with Cocaine, often worn as jewelry STAR DUST - Cocaine STASH - a place where drugs are hidden STEP ON - to dilute drugs STICK - a Marijuana cigarette STIMULANTS - pep pills STONED - under the influence of drugs STRAIGHT - not using drugs STRUNG OUT - heavily addicted to drugs STUFF- drugs SUPERMAN - LSD blotter with Superman imprint TASTE - a small sample of drugs TEA - Marijuana THAI STICKS - Marijuana laced with Opium TOBACCO - butt, chew, weed, cig, TOKE - inhaling Marijuana or Hashish smoke TOLLEY - or toluene; a cheap, extremely harmful paint solvent (inhalant) Drug Testing Secrets Page 66 TOOT - to sniff Cocaine TOOTER - small, hollow tube (straw-like) to sniff Cocaine TO PARTY - refers to having a good time using alcohol and other drugs TRACKS - a row of needle marks on the skin TRAP - a hiding place for drugs TRIP - under the influence of drugs TURF - a location where drugs are sold TURKEY - a substitute sold as a specific drug TURNED ON - introduced to drugs, or under the influence of drugs TWEEZES -a wild variety of psilocybin mushrooms (hallucinogen) UNCLE - Federal Agents UPPERS - Stimulants, Amphetamines VALIUM - ludes, drunk pills, v's blues WACKY TOBACCKY -Marijuana WASTED - intoxicated, strung out WEED - Marijuana WHITE - Cocaine WHITE LIGHTENING - LSD Drug Testing Secrets Page 67 WIRED - addicted to Amphetamines or Heroin WORKS - equipment for injecting drugs YELLOW JACKETS - Nembutal, Barbiturate YEN - a strong craving ZIGZAG - a brand of rolling papers used to make Marijuana cigarettes ZOMBIE - heavy user of drugs ZONKED - extremely high Drug Testing Secrets Page 68 Bonus Section: Marijuana An estimated 65% to 90% of people who get caught on drug tests are caught for marijuana use. This is due to two factors. First, the number of marijuana users is far greater than the number of cocaine or heroin users. And second, marijuana is easier to detect than cocaine or heroin because it is the drug which leaves metabolites in your body the longest. Today, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States — and in much of the rest of the world. In fact, according to a recent survey, 72 million Americans have tried pot, and about 11 million are regular users. Marijuana Common Street Green Names: Mary Jane MJ Pot Weed Joints Bong Toke Herb Reefer Marijuana is derived from the cannabis plant, which grows in many countries, including the United States. People put it in rolling papers to make marijuana cigarettes, smoke it in bongs or pipes, or mix it in baked goods or tea and eat or drink it. The cannabis plant also yields hashish, a stronger form of marijuana, and hash oil, and the strongest form that has very high levels of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. Much of our understanding of how marijuana works is still sketchy, but it took a huge leap forward with the 1992 discovery of receptors for THC in the brain, docking sites for body chemicals much like THC. Marijuana contains several psychoactive chemicals that act on the brain. While scientists do not know all of the drug's effects, several studies have established that marijuana interferes with memory and learning. A new study confirms that heavy (daily) marijuana Drug Testing Secrets Page 69 use impairs critical skills related to attention, memory and learning. In this study, "Heavy users could not pay attention to the material well enough to register the information in the first place so that it could be recalled and repeated later," say the researchers in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2/21/96). THC isn't the only chemical that swings into action when pot does its stuff. That's because marijuana isn't a single molecule at all (like alcohol or cocaine), but some 421 different chemicals — 61 of which, known as Cannabinoids, exist nowhere else in nature. What THC and the other Cannabinoids do is temporarily tilt the balance of chemicals in the brain involved in thought, feeling, and memory. Most effects — from changes in perception to feelings of relaxation and euphoria — usually peak within an hour and disappear altogether in 2-3 hours. Other effects may last longer. Coordination—Even low doses can slow responses, making some tasks difficult, and others-driving, for example-potentially dangerous. Perception—Pot subtly alters sensory perception. Effects can include feelings of heightened sensitivity and a distorted sense of the passage of time. Mental Changes—Marijuana can impair judgment and reasoning skills, particularly those involved in counting and the ability to follow complex instructions. It also temporarily disrupts short-term memory. Memory Impairment—Often shows up in tasks requiring sustained concentration, but it turns up elsewhere, too. Communication is affected: speech slows, phrases get shorter, and users can forget what they're talking about — even in the middle of a sentence. And even though performance and memory problems usually disappear as drug effects fade, long-term learning problems still haven't been ruled out. THC breakdown products, or metabolites, can linger in the body for weeks or months after use; this could be risky-particularly for those involved in hazardous activities or occupations. Drug Testing Secrets Page 70 Does pot cause psychological problems? The most serious risk that a typical user ever runs is anxiety, which can be triggered by stress or fatigue-or higher-potency marijuana. Such reactions tend to be more common among infrequent and inexperienced users. Pot-related panic typically lasts less than an hour, and generally requires little more than time to run its course, along with a little reassurance and TLC (not to be confused with THC) from friends or helpers. In most ways, marijuana ranks pretty low on the drug-problem totem pole. One reason: Pot's low toxicity. People don't overdose or lose their lives from smoking pot — or at least not so anyone notices all at once. The most important cannabinoid in pot is a little number known as delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, for short). THC is the main mind-altering ingredient in marijuana, and the biggest news about it is how much of it is turning up in new, highpotency forms of pot. Today, it's not hard to find pot with a THC content of 7, 8 or even 10 percent. And that extra potency packs a punch — in the form of more intense effects and greater potential risks. When a smoker lights up, the first big biological change comes in the form of a blast of tar and other gases that rushes to the lungs, after first irritating the tissues of the mouth, nose, and throat. You might also hear a cough as the lungs do what they're supposed to do — expel irritants. Probably the clearest health risk posed by pot is the danger to the lungs. That's because marijuana smoke contains the same cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Drug Testing Secrets Page 71 And since pot smokers hold marijuana smoke in the lungs longer, regular use could pose the same kinds of cancer risks as cigarette smoking. In addition, pot smokers also raise their risk of other lung problems, including bronchitis and emphysema. That risk is considered higher still for people who smoke both pot and cigarettes. Daily use of from 1 to 3 marijuana cigarettes appears to produce the same lung damage and cancer risk as smoking 5 times as many cigarettes. Finally, researchers have found for the first time that marijuana can cause dependence and withdrawal symptoms in laboratory animals. Only blood-sample measurements are likely to correlate with a person's degree of exposure; attempts to correlate urine concentration with impairment or time of dose are complicated by variations in individual metabolism, metabolite accumulation in the chronic user, and urine volume changes due to diet, exercise, and age. Therefore, a positive result by the urine cannabinoid test indicates only the likelihood of prior use. Smoking a single marijuana cigarette produces THC metabolites that are detectable for several days with the cannabinoid assay. THC can accumulate in body fat, creating higher excretion concentrations and longer delectability. If an affect on performance is the main reason for screening, the urine cannabinoid test result alone cannot indicate performance impairment or assess the degree of risk associated with the person's continuing to perform tasks. If a history of marijuana use is the major reason for screening, the urine test for Cannabinoids should be able to detect prior use for up to 4 weeks in the casual user and possibly months longer in the chronic user. Drug Testing Secrets Page 72 Marijuana Legal Status Marijuana is a Schedule I drug. It is illegal to grow, sell, buy or use marijuana, hashish or hashish oil. Synthetic THC capsules are available by prescription to treat the nausea that cancer patients sometimes suffer with some forms of chemotherapy, and to treat wasting in AIDS patients. No form of the smoked drug has been approved as safe or effective for any medical use. Three in 10 Americans say they have tried marijuana and most parents who tried it say they would tell their kids about it if asked. On the other hand, most parents say they would be very upset if their child smoked marijuana and consider smoking marijuana more dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol. Americans' views on marijuana are complex. While majorities say marijuana should not be legalized, they are somewhat divided on whether possession of a small amount should be considered a crime. And most Americans say they approve of using the drug for medicinal purposes when prescribed by a doctor. About three in 10 people say they have tried marijuana and a majority of parents who have tried it say they would tell their kids if they asked. On the other hand, three-quarters of parents say they would be "extremely" upset if their child smoked marijuana and half say they would be more concerned about pot than cigarettes or alcohol. In 2000, 46.5 percent of the 1,579,566 total arrests for drug abuse violations were for marijuana -- a total of 734,497. Of those, 646,042 people were arrested for possession alone. This is an increase over 1999, when a total of 704,812 Americans were arrested for marijuana offenses, of which 620,541 were for possession alone. According to the UN's estimate, 141 million people around the world use marijuana. This represents about 2.5 percent of the world population. Marijuana was first federally prohibited in 1937. Today, more than 76 million Americans admit to having tried it. Drug Testing Secrets Page 73 A John Hopkins study published in May 1999, examined marijuana's effects on cognition on 1,318 participants over a 15 year period. Researchers reported "no significant differences in cognitive decline between heavy users, light users, and nonusers of cannabis." They also found "no male-female differences in cognitive decline in relation to cannabis use. These results ... seem to provide strong evidence of the absence of a longterm residual effect of cannabis use on cognition, they concluded. Current marijuana use had a negative effect on global IQ score only in subjects who smoked 5 or more joints per week. A negative effect was not observed among subjects who had previously been heavy users but were no longer using the substance. We conclude that marijuana does not have a long-term negative impact on global intelligence. Whether the absence of a residual marijuana effect would also be evident in more specific cognitive domains such as memory and attention remains to be ascertained. In March 1999, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on various aspects of marijuana, including the so-called Gateway Theory (the theory that using marijuana leads people to use harder drugs like cocaine and heroin). The IOM stated, "There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs." The Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on marijuana explained that marijuana has been mistaken for a gateway drug in the past because "Patterns in progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood are strikingly regular. Because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana, usually before they are of legal age." A 1999 federal report conducted by the Institute of Medicine found that, "For most people, the primary adverse effect of acute marijuana use is diminished psychomotor performance. It is, therefore, inadvisable to operate any vehicle or potentially dangerous Drug Testing Secrets Page 74 equipment while under the influence of marijuana, THC, or any cannabinoid drug with comparable effects." The DEA's Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young concluded: "In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care. When examining the relationship between marijuana use and violent crime, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded, "Rather than inducing violent or aggressive behavior through its purported effects of lowering inhibitions, weakening impulse control and heightening aggressive tendencies, marihuana was usually found to inhibit the expression of aggressive impulses by pacifying the user, interfering with muscular coordination, reducing psychomotor activities and generally producing states of drowsiness lethargy, timidity and passivity." When examining the medical affects of marijuana use, the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse concluded, "A careful search of the literature and testimony of the nation's health officials has not revealed a single human fatality in the United States proven to have resulted solely from ingestion of marihuana. Experiments with the drug in monkeys demonstrated that the dose required for overdose death was enormous and for all practical purposes unachievable by humans smoking marihuana. This is in marked contrast to other substances in common use, most notably alcohol and barbiturate sleeping pills. Some claim that cannabis use leads to "adult amotivation." The World Health Organization report addresses the issue and states, "it is doubtful that cannabis use produces a well defined amotivational syndrome." The report also notes that the value of Drug Testing Secrets Page 75 studies which support the "adult amotivation" theory are "limited by their small sample sizes" and lack of representative social/cultural groups. Australian researchers found that regions giving on-the-spot fines to marijuana users rather than harsher criminal penalties did not cause marijuana use to increase. Marijuana Statistics Some call it the demon weed, some call it just plane fun. Here are some statistics on the plant known as Marijuana. The only damage suggested by American Medical Association (AMA) is that it effects the short term memory and they only believe your memory will be affected as long as you smoke it in large amounts. Afterwards, when you quit, they say your memory should return to normal. The AMA supports the legalization of marijuana because its applications to medical use in many ways. Deaths Due To Weed The only deaths are related to people using the drug, then trying to perform other tasks like driving, or trying to perform some other task which involves large amounts of concentration and could be dangerous or cause injury. In fact, only 75 people in America are killed in marijuana related incidents a year. Here is a chart showing the deaths in overdose and or long term use of other drugs in comparison to Marijuana per year. Tobaccos Alcohol (excluding accident 340,000-395,000 125,000 + or crime) Prescription Medications 24,000-27,000 Drug Testing Secrets Page 76 Illegal Drugs (excluding 3,800-5,200 Marijuana) Marijuana 0 * Source Government Bureau of Mortality Statistics The drug hasn’t been involved in many violent crimes. In fact Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry Anslinger reports that Marijuana is not a violence inducing drug, it is the exact opposite—an anti-violent drug or a pacifist. Every year twenty million people either smoke or attempt to smoke the drug. They include artists, musicians, writers, inventors and, yes, even lawyers. Marijuana is in no way addictive and the statement of the drug being a stepping stone for greater more dangerous drugs is false. Studies have shown that it has the same effect as Caffeine, sugar, or alcohol. The only crimes usually ever committed are having the possession of, driving while under the influence, or smoking of the drug. THC THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is the active ingredient in Marijuana. It causes minor hallucinations, what appears to be the slowing down of time and is also considered a downer or depressant. THC can be found in three forms marijuana, hashish, and hashish Oil. Marijuana or cannabis sativa also known “weed the most widely used for of THC and is the only plant known to produce it. The plant is most commonly know as a weed, usually takes six to seven months to start “budding”, and the bud is the part of the plant that is usually smoked and or eaten. The plant requires a rather warm and moist place to grow properly. If not grown properly the plants THC level is reduced dramatically. Hashish is defined in the Webster's' dictionary as a narcotic derived from hemp that is Drug Testing Secrets Page 77 chewed, smoked or drunk for its intoxicating effects. Hashish is most widely used in the Netherlands and Germany in places called, well, Hashish Bars. There you can purchase it and use it which is very uncommon for most countries because it is illegal every where else. Hashish Oil is pretty much the same thing, but it is in an oil form therefore making it more potent. The first known use of marijuana is in 8000 B.C. where it was used for clothing and other useful little items. The first known time that marijuana was smoked was in the year 2700 B.C. in the country of China for religious purposes. Famous people that are have said to smoke the drug were Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and yes, it was even rumored that John F. Kennedy Jr. was to have smoked it because it remedied his back problems. How Marijuana is Smoked There are many different ways that people have invented to smoke it. The three main ways are the joint, the bowl, and one of the most liked styles the bong. Joints are one of the most commonly used types of “weed” smoking. It involves using a small sheet of paper called rolling papers these can be bought at any local convenience store. You roll the marijuana by hand into the paper like a cigarette. Another common way of taking in the smoke is through a small pipe or “bowl”. This is the easiest version of smoking it in that you only have to put the drug into a relatively small container like you would stuff tobacco into a pipe. These are usually found in cigarette and tobacco selling locations. The least common way to smoke the drug is through what the inventive, yet scientifically smart smokers have come up with called a “bong”. This device has many features to it, for instance you use water in this device to filter out the worst part of the smoke and leave nearly all THC. Some bongs and Bowls come with what smokers call a carb which increases the hits intensity and volume. Drug Testing Secrets Page 78 The governments standing on marijuana seems to be constantly changing. Most states spend millions of dollars in trying to control the substance and stop its use and distribution. Just recently California passed a law saying that it was legal to have the possession of and smoke the drug but only for medical use and even then the law is very strict on the people that smoke it legally. Marijuana Myths—Fact or Fiction? MYTH: Marijuana is a gateway drug. FACT: For every 104 people who have used marijuana, there is only one regular user of cocaine and less than one heroin addict. MYTH: Marijuana is addictive. FACT: Less than one percent of people who consume marijuana do so on a daily or near daily basis. An even smaller minority develop dependence on marijuana. Withdrawal symptoms, if experienced at all, are mild. MYTH: Marijuana lowers motivation. FACT: For twenty five years, researchers have searched for a marijuana-induced amotivational syndrome and have failed to find it. Of course, people who are constantly intoxicated, no matter what the drug, are not likely to be productive MYTH: Higher concentrations of THC make marijuana more dangerous. FACT: There is no possibility of a fatal overdose from smoking marijuana, regardless of potency. High potency marijuana may be less harmful to the lungs because people can use less to achieve the desired effects MYTH: Marijuana causes brain damage FACT: No medical test used to determine brain damage has indicated brain damage in humans who use marijuana - even after long-term use. Drug Testing Secrets Page 79 Marijuana Facts Marijuana, common name for a drug made from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa (see Cannabis). People smoke, chew, or eat marijuana for its hallucinogenic and intoxicating effects. It is known by a number of slang names, including “pot,” “grass,” “reefer,” “weed,” and “Mary Jane.” The flowering tops of the Cannabis plant secrete a sticky resin that contains the active ingredient of marijuana, known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The plant has both male and female forms, and the sticky flowers of the female plant are the most potent. Hashish is a similar drug prepared from the same plant. It differs from marijuana in that it is comprised of only the resin from the plant, whereas marijuana is made up of flowering tops and leaves. Known in India, Central Asia, and China as early as 3000 BC, marijuana has long been used as both a medicine and an intoxicant. Most countries consider marijuana an illegal substance, but individual countries vary on how they prosecute the use and possession of marijuana. Some countries only impose small fines, while others impose harsher punishment, including imprisonment. Marijuana Effects Many users describe two phases of marijuana intoxication: initial stimulation, which includes giddiness and euphoria, followed by sedation and pleasant tranquility. Mood changes are often accompanied by altered perceptions of time and space. Thinking processes become disrupted by fragmentary ideas and memories. Many users report Drug Testing Secrets Page 80 increased appetite, heightened sensory awareness, and general feelings of pleasure. Negative effects of marijuana use can include confusion, acute panic reactions, anxiety attacks, fear, a sense of helplessness, and loss of self-control. Chronic marijuana users may develop a motivational syndrome characterized by passivity, decreased motivation, and preoccupation with taking drugs. Like alcohol intoxication, marijuana intoxication impairs judgment, comprehension, memory, speech, problem-solving ability, reaction time, and driving skills. The effects of long-term marijuana use on the intellect have not been established, and there is no evidence that marijuana causes brain damage. Smoking marijuana can damage the lungs, however, and long-term use may increase the risk of lung cancer. Although marijuana is not physically addicting and no physical withdrawal symptoms occur when use is discontinued, psychological dependence develops in some 10 to 20 percent of longterm regular users (see Drug Dependence). Marijuana is formed from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the Indian hemp plant Cannabis sativa. Popularly known as “grass, pot, reefer,” and “Mary Jane,” marijuana is smoked or chewed for its intoxicating effect, and it has also been used as a sedative and analgesic. Hashish is formed from the resin of the flowering tops of the same plant, and it is five to eight times more potent than marijuana when smoked. Marijuana-Medical Possibilities Some people find that marijuana combats the unpleasant symptoms associated with medical conditions. But the potential medical uses of marijuana are hard to assess, as there have been few clinical trials. Pure THC has been shown to improve appetite and prevent the severe weight loss associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and it also reduces the nausea caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Pure THC sold under the brand name Marinol is available in capsule form as a prescription medicine in the United States for these uses. Drug Testing Secrets Page 81 Compared to smoked marijuana, however, this drug is slower to provide symptom relief due to the time required for the drug to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Marijuana is also reported to have beneficial effects in treating pain and muscle spasms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Many people who suffer from MS and other chronic diseases report that marijuana provides symptom relief when all other medications fail. Drug Testing Secrets Page 82
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