DRUG TESTING SECRETS

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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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]
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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.
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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.
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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
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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!
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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
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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
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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
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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).
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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"
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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"
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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