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How to Pass a Urine Drug Test for Marijuana: 20 Facts and Myths
While reading online forums or speaking with your friends can help you learn about different ways to get tested negative for THC even if you have smoked weed during the last few days before a test, not all of them are valid. Drug testing is a popular subject that has many myths and urban legends associated with it that must be debunked to prevent people from being misinformed. We have collected and checked facts about the most popular ways to pass a urine drug test for weed to find out which of them really work and which ones are not worth using.
People have a right to protect their privacy and keep their medical history secret, but cheating on a drug test may be a criminal offense depending on the place and purpose of testing, so it is strictly prohibited to use these methods in federally mandated, court-ordered, and other official drug tests.
Table of Contents
1. Synthetic urine
FACT
Substituting your sample with synthetic urine is one of the most common and effective ways to pass a drug test. This is the best option in case of an unsupervised test and very risky but still possible if you are supervised during the procedure. In this case, special appliances are used, such as a bladder belt with a rubber tube. In any case, this method requires thorough preparation by preheating synthetic urine in a microwave and keeping it close to human body temperature until the test. You should also ensure that you buy a quality product that simulates all the properties of real urine and will not be discovered and rejected by a lab. Quick Fix synthetic urine is a guaranteed way to pass a drug test.
2. Another person’s urine
FACT
Using a urine sample from another person also works but has its disadvantages. Unlike synthetic urine, a real one is unhygienic and if poorly stored will decompose if not frozen. You should also make certain that your donor is 100% free from drugs. Furthermore, asking another person to give his or her urine can be awkward and will violate your privacy in case you want to keep your actions secret. This method is free of charge, yet using fake urine is a more convenient way to substitute your own specimen.
3. Drinking water
MYTH
This method is also known as dilution or flushing. Actually, it is an internal dilution and does not work. First, it is not easy to do, since drinking excessive amounts of water is dangerous for your health. Water intoxication (hyperhydration) leads to electrolyte imbalance disease and brain function disturbance. In rare cases, it can even lead to death. Second, even if you dilute your urine enough, it will have a pale color and a lower specific gravity and creatinine level. Drug testing labs always check samples for integrity and reject diluted ones. Interpretation of diluted samples varies depending upon the organization and its drug testing policy. Sometimes it is considered a failed test, and in other cases, you will be suspected of tampering and subjected to a more thorough screening or even prosecuted.
4. Adding water to sample
MYTH
This is an external dilution that is useless. Most testing facilities collect samples in rooms without sinks. According to Federal guidelines, there should not be any sources of water available, but if a toilet is present, water in the tank must be tinted. A bluing agent is generally used. Even if you do find clean water, it must be warm to ensure human body temperature of a specimen because urine that is too cold or too hot will be suspicious. Finally, as well as an internally diluted sample, it will never pass an integrity check and will be rejected by laboratory.
5. Adding adulterants
FACT
Adulterants are substances that are added to urine to mask or destroy drug metabolites in it to provide a negative test result. Dozens of different adulterants are used for a THC test, but only a few of them really work.
Papain is an enzyme present in papaya fruit. Some studies confirm that when added to a urine sample the concentration of marijuana metabolites is reduced for up to 50% and works for both initial and confirmation screening and cannot be detected by standard adulteration tests. The Journal of Analytical Toxicology calls papain a “potential problem” for the drug-testing industry. Papain is widely used in meat tenderizers, which are available in any grocery store, and you can also find it as a crude powder and even as chewable tablets. Meat tenderizers in some tests lead to increase of THC metabolites, so it is recommended to use latex papain by adding it to a urine sample as a dry powder in a proportion of 10mg/mL.
Iodine is another adulterant present in some water purification tablets that is able to eliminate drug metabolites. According to this study, it immediately destroys morphine but has a less evident effect on Tetrahydrocannabinol, so its use for a marijuana test does not guarantee success.
Other adulterants do not work!
Bleach, vinegar, ammonia, glutaraldehyde, soap, salt, lemon juice, Drano, Visine, Klear, and many others do not work. None of these has been proven to hide or destroy THC metabolites, while all of them are screened for by drug-testing labs and easily detectable.
6. Stop smoking
FACT
If you have enough time to prepare for drug testing, the most reliable way to pass it is to stop smoking weed. It is impossible to say exactly how long marijuana stays in your system, as it depends on many factors, such as your weight, metabolism, age, smoking habits, and lifestyle. Generally, young people who participate in sports and aren’t overweight get rid of toxins faster. Occasional users also usually test negative just a few days after smoking, while heavy users may show positive results for weeks. It is recommended that you determine your own detection time by not smoking and testing yourself every day with a home test strip. In any case, the longer you abstain from drugs, the better your chances to pass a test.
7. Diuretics
MYTH
Diuretics are substances that stimulate production and output of urine. They can be medications, such as Lasix or Midol, and some fruits, vegetables, and herbs, as well as such drinks as beer, cranberry juice, tea, and soda. They do not eliminate toxins but only flush them out of your system and decrease the concentration of drug metabolites in urine. Actually, this is the same effect as drinking a lot of water. The only difference is that diuretics will help you to speed up urination, but the result will be the same—a diluted and rejected sample—and consequently a failed test or a retest in the best case.
8. Detox drinks
FACT
Marijuana detox drinks are a proven method to pass a drug test by cleansing your system from THC. In fact, they are the same as diuretics but include very important supplements, which let you avoid failing an integrity test. B vitamins (usually B-2 and B-12) color your urine yellow to make it look natural and undiluted, creatine increases the creatinine (which is actually its breakdown product) level in a sample, and dietary fiber redirects THC metabolites from the bladder to the colon. Detox drinks are also full of other useful vitamins and herbs that improve your health. All these components can be purchased separately, but it is more convenient to buy them in a single drink. You should remember that using detoxification products requires that you follow the instructions accurately and be careful about time management, as any effect may be temporary. You will pass the test, though, if you do it right.
Herbal Clean QCarbo
This detox drink is made of more than 20 components, including herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, and other natural substances. Its fast-acting formula starts cleansing your body from toxins in just 1 hour. Herbal Clean QCarbo Plus With Booster is for frequent smokers and people who are overweight.
9. Goldenseal
MYTH
Rumors about Goldeseal’s ability to mask illegal drugs and provide false negative results are a myth, which is based on the novel Stringtown on the Pike, written by American herbalist and pharmacist John Uri Lloyd in 1901. In real life, there is no evidence of any influence this herb has on THC or other drug metabolites. Whether pill or tea, Goldenseal is just usual diuretic that has the same effect as other diuretics. Furthermore, some labs now test samples for its presence and consider using it as an attempt to cheat.
10. Vinegar
MYTH
Adding vinegar to urine as an adulterant was explained before, but some people think that drinking vinegar before a test can either flush out your system or mask traces of drugs, but both assumptions are incorrect. When mixed with stomach acid and gastric enzymes, vinegar only changes the pH level of urine and causes diarrhea, but it does not have any significant effect on marijuana metabolites. Drinking vinegar is definitely a bad idea not only because of its unpleasant taste, but also because it just won’t help you to pass a drug test under any circumstances.
11. Pickle juice
MYTH
Information on the Internet states that pickle juice contains acid, which cleanses urine and dissolves drug metabolites. That’s not true. The only acid pickle juice contains is vinegar, which is actually an acetic acid, but vinegar as we know does not mask or eliminate traces of a drug and does not help you pass a drug test. Pickle juice also contains salt, usually as sodium chloride, a common table salt. As is known, excessive salt consumption makes people thirsty, so drinking brine will lead to drinking large amounts of water thus diluting your urine, which is not effective way to pass a drug test.
12. Niacin
MYTH
Niacin is also known as nicotinic acid or vitamin B3. It is used as a dietary supplement to support natural metabolism and regulate blood pressure as well as other important bodily processes. It dilates blood vessels, which causes a flush effect. This led to rumors about its cleansing properties. In fact, there is no evidence of its impact on concentration of THC in urine. An overdose of niacin is also dangerous because it leads to a number of unpleasant side effects, such as dry skin, itching, fever, and dehydration. Dehydration causes increased water consumption, which dilutes your urine sample. This could help you pass a drug test, but with improved testing technologies today, dilution does not work.
13. Dietary fibers
FACT
Dietary fibers redirect THC metabolites from the bladder to the colon and help you pass a urine test. Unfortunately, however, the effect of consuming fibers is insufficient if this is the only means used, and you may need weeks to eliminate toxins this way. For occasional smokers, one week is usually enough for cleansing in a natural way even without using special remedies, so starting a high-fiber diet is not worth the effort. Furthermore, eating many fibers has unpleasant side effects, such as changing your bowel movement schedule, leading to diarrhea or constipation, cramping, and intestinal gas. Consuming dietary fiber is still a great remedy, though, that is widely used along with other means, for example, as an ingredient in detox drinks or extra supplements to comprehensive detox programs. Fiber is available as a food additive and also in such products as beans, nuts, whole grains, brown rice, cereals, potato, oatmeal, and vegetables. Pectin is also a good source of dietary fiber.
14. Zinc
FACT
There is a study confirming that zinc really masks THC metabolites and reduces their detection in urine drug tests. Moreover, the result can be achieved either by ingesting (in the form of a dietary zinc supplement) or utilizing it as a sample adulterant (in the form of zinc sulfate). Despite this benefit, using zinc in any form cannot be recommended as a way to pass a drug test because new methods of detecting its presence in urine were developed lately. Not all labs utilize these new methods, yet there is still a chance that you will be caught while trying to cheat, so if you want to do it, do at your own risk.
15. Aspirin
FACT
Aspirin really helps but only with tests based on EMIT assay. This test is the cheapest and used in the form of a strip that is dipped into a sample. It is commonly used for initial screening. Studies confirm that aspirin interferes with the Emit assay and decreases its signals, helping to mask traces of drugs, but its effect is not crucial; therefore, aspirin is usually used as a supporting agent along with more efficient remedies to increase your chance of passing a drug test. It is recommended to take 4 tablets about 4–5 hours before a test.
16. Sports and energy drinks
MYTH
Many people on Internet forums claim that they have passed drug test by drinking Gatorade, Red Bull, and various other sports or energy drinks. In fact, these drinks do not include any components that are scientifically proven to mask or eliminate marijuana metabolites. The only thing they are supposed to do is restore energy and replace various useful substances in the human body. All evidence about passing a drug test successfully includes drinking gallons of water along with these products, so this method is really nothing more than a dilution, which needs additional action for increasing B vitamins and creatinine levels to pass an integrity test.
17. Drinking bleach or Drano
MYTH
It sounds weird, but sometimes on drug-related websites you can find posts or comments from people who recommend drinking hazardous liquids, such as bleach or Drano, to cleanse your body of any traces of drugs. Please, NEVER do this!!! Neither these liquids nor their particular ingredients interact with any drugs (including THC) or their metabolites, and they can also cause serious damage to your health and even kill you. Without a doubt, this opinion is the most incorrect.
18. Exercise
FACT
After its intake with the smoke of the cannabis plant, THC metabolizes and accumulates in fat cells, so eliminating fat will help remove it from the body. That’s why physical activity really does help you pass a drug test but only if you do it for a long time before a test. The problem here is that drug metabolites, like any toxins, are excreted through urination, so you need to stop exercising about 48 hours before a test to decrease the THC level in your urinary tract and produce clean urine for a testing sample. This process is also very slow. It’s next to impossible to pass the test using only this method, so it is recommended that exercise be just part of a cleansing program to support more efficient marijuana detox methods.
19. Not the first urination of the day
FACT
In case you do not substitute your sample with synthetic urine but use your own, you should never give your first urine of the day. Morning urine is always much darker compared with urine later in the day because all unwanted substances accumulate in the bladder during sleep, making the first urine of the day the dirtiest and heavily filled with toxins. Even if you are using effective methods of detoxification, it is still recommended to urinate at least once before giving your sample to provide cleaner urine and increase your chances of success.
20. Claiming to be a passive user
MYTH
It is impossible to test positive for THC if you didn’t smoke weed and were just standing near or riding in car with someone who was smoking. All drug tests have a cutoff level, which is defined as the minimum amount of certain drug metabolites required in a sample for the result to be considered positive. The cutoff for marijuana in a urine test is 50 nanograms per milliliter. This level cannot be achieved by passive inhalation even if you were in a room filled with smoke. It can only be reached by direct ingestion. It means that claiming to be a passive user cannot be a legitimate reason to prevent screening or justify yourself in case of a positive result.
Read also: How To Pass A Urine Drug Test For Weed
