Whether you're a casual or a daily smoker, it will be very useful for you to learn how to pass a urine drug test for marijuana. This article contains the latest and most accurate information currently available on the topic.
Table of Contents
THC Test Basics
Trans-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, is the basic psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. It can be detected by testing urine, saliva, hair, blood, sweat (1), or breath (2). Urinalysis is the most common, cheapest, and simplest type of drug test. It is worth mentioning, however, that it detects not THC itself, but it's major inactive metabolite, THC-COOH. This method is commonly used for pre-employment drug testing, but it can also be used for other random drug testing, e.g., the workplace, schools, probation, and drug rehab centers.
A lab-based urine test is performed in two steps:
- The initial screening test. A lab takes a urine sample and mixes it with specific chemicals, usually just by dipping the drug test strip that is covered in chemicals into it.
- If it comes back positive, a confirmation test is performed, which uses complicated gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This method is expensive but more accurate.
Drug testing is regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For HHS-certified laboratories, the cutoff level (minimum concentration needed for a positive result) of THC metabolites in urine for the initial test is 50 nanograms per milliliter. (3) If you want to pass a drug test, you don’t have to be absolutely clean, but you must have less than 50 ng/mL of marijuana metabolites in your system.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your System
Unfortunately, it is impossible to say EXACTLY how long weed stays in your system. We can only calculate the approximate length of time. What we do know is that the half life of THC metabolites in the human body ranges between 1 and 10 days.
Consider the following example: the half life of the THC in your system is 5 days. After smoking pot, your THC level in urine is about 100 ng/ml, but 5 days later it will be about 50 ng/ml. You will pass a urine test for sure the next day.
Every case is different, though, and too many factors influence THC half life, so we can only approximate how long marijuana stays in the human body.
The length of time depends on such factors as the age and weight of the individual, personal metabolism, physical activity, and amount and potency of the weed. Infrequent users eliminate THC faster, while it will usually stay in the system of frequent users for a longer period of time.
Frequency of use | The time THC stays in urine |
---|---|
Single use | 2–3 days |
Occasional use | 4–7 days |
Regular use | 7–30 days |
If you smoke marijuana occasionally, you have a good chance to pass a urine drug test in less than a week.
A person’s weight is also very important. THC accumulates in fat cells, so thin people have less space to store it. They also usually have faster metabolism. These two factors make it easier for them to beat a drug test.
If you want to know how long weed stays in your system, the best thing you can do is buy a home drug test and check yourself.
This device is exactly the same as those used in drug testing laboratories for the initial test. It is designed to detect traces of THC in your urine in the privacy of your home and check if you can pass your drug test.
Stop smoking weed, and test your urine in the morning every day until you see negative results. This is your personal detection time, but even this time can vary, if you change your smoking habits and lifestyle. Don’t trust a friend’s experience! Monitor your own THC levels, because everybody is different.
How to Pass a Drug Test for Marijuana
The first and most important thing to do:
Stop smoking marijuana immediately! The longer you abstain, the better your chance to test negative.
Method #1: Substitution
One widely used method to pass a urine test is to buy synthetic urine and replace your sample with it, but this only works if you are not supervised. Some people use special devices (such as Urinator or Whizzinator), that include belt and prosthetic penis to deliver synthetic urine to the sample cup, but this doesn't work for direct observation. In this case, the observer visually checks the donor’s body, who is asked to pull down his or her underwear and raise his or her clothing, what makes it impossible to hide anything.
Another problem is that lab staff always checks for the sample temperature, so you need to keep your synthetic urine warm to avoid unnecessary suspicions. If a sample collector suspects that a fake pee has been used, they perform an additional test to check if it’s real. They may flag your sample as tampered-with, so it’s a big risk to try substituting it.
Method #2: Dilution
What if you cannot use synthetic urine? There is another way. You can remove toxins from your body and pass the test in a natural way.
The keystone of any drug detox process is hydration. You should drink a lot of water and urinate as much as possible to flush traces of THC out of your body.
This method is very effective, but it has one disadvantage. When you drink an excessive amount of water, your urine becomes colorless, and labs consider it diluted. They cannot report a positive result, but they can reject your sample and report an attempt to cheat the test. To prevent this from happening, you can color your urine yellow by taking B vitamins. Vitamins B-2 and B-12 are usually used. They are included in all marijuana detox drinks and detox pills that you can find in our store.
To make sure the urine specimen is valid and not diluted, labs also check it for creatinine, which is a substance that our body produces at a pretty constant rate. When people try to dilute their urine, the level of creatinine drops below normal. Samples with low creatinine are considered manipulated. To avoid this from occurring, you should eat protein-rich foods, for example, red meat, that increase creatinine levels in your body or take special creatine supplements. Drug detox drinks also include the necessary amount of creatine.
Things to Do in the Morning of Your Drug Test
- After waking up, empty your bladder totally and start drinking water. Help your kidneys work harder to urinate more and get rid of all drug residues by drinking diuretic drinks, such as cranberry juice or coffee. If they don't work, you can take diuretic pills, for example an 80-milligram dose of Lasix. You must urinate at least 3 times before submitting a sample, the more the better.
- Your diet is also important so don't neglect it at this point. You should eat high-fat foods that absorb THC, and red meat, which increases creatinine level in the body and helps mask water dilution of urine samples.
- Avoid any contact with drugs (even passive inhalation), physical activity, and products that may cause false-positive result. Also, don’t forget to use THC detox products and home testing strips.
Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips and tricks to improve your chances.
- Take Aspirin. Some studies confirm that aspirin decreases the signals of EMIT (enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique) drug tests. (4) Sometimes this leads to false-negative results. You can increase your chances if you take 1.3g of aspirin (4 x 325-mg tablets) 4–5 hours before a test.
- Never send to a lab your first urine of the day or urine at the beginning of the stream because they contain the most toxins. Urinate 2–3 times before sending a sample, and try to fill the test cup with your urine halfway through.
- Stop Exercising. Despite numerous statements that exercise can help you pass a drug test, this is not true. According to the latest studies, while releasing THC from fat, exercise actually increases its level in the urine, thus increasing chances for detection. (5) Minimize your physical activity for a few days before a test.
Home Remedies
Many home remedies are believed to help to detox or just mask THC in urine. They can be divided into two groups:
- Adulterants that include some household chemical additives, such as bleach, soap, laundry detergent, salt, Visine (eye drops), glutaraldehyde, zinc, and others.
- Food supplements, such as lemon juice, goldenseal, apple cider vinegar, niacin, baking soda bombs, activated charcoal, Palo Azul tea, pickle juice, fruit pectin (Sure Jell), and others.
FAQ
How to Pass a Drug Test in a Week?
It's pretty simple: you should drink about one gallon of water daily, 2–3 cups at a time throughout the day, and use detox drinks or pills, which will assist in urination and restore natural appearance, chemical composition and physical properties of your urine, including its pH and specific gravity.
This body cleansing product is recommended for those who want to pass a drug test in a week. Its formula includes exclusive jumpstart capsules and daily morning and evening solutions to ensure thorough body cleansing from all kind of toxins.
How to Pass a Urine Test in 24 Hours?
It is possible to cleanse your system in 24 hours, although not easy. You need a strong same day detox drink to cleanse your body of toxins on short notice. The best option is to use a detox kit, which includes same day detox drink, detox boosting tablets and urine testing device for validating the cleansing process.
Drink a lot of water and urinate as much as you can the day before your drug test. On the test day, use the last minute THC detox kit for instant cleansing and a natural urine look.
This emergency detox product is designed for those who need fast solution for passing a urine drug test in one day. It includes a detox drink with super boost tablets, a chewable supplement and a home testing device.
Can Labs Detect Marijuana Detox Drinks?
Some people worry about whether this method can be detected by labs. The answer is no. Labs cannot detect marijuana detox drinks since it is a lot like taking any other beverage. It doesn’t leave any trace in the urine. Also, labs do not even have any intention to check your urine for a detox use. The presence of components of the detox drink will never be traced.
How Much Water Should You Drink?
There is no exact amount of water you need to take to get a false negative result. Some studies recommend taking eight glasses of water within two hours before the test, while some others believe that 24 ounces of water will do the trick. These recommendations are highly dependent on the person’s body mass. The most common advice is to drink from 20 to 30 oz per hour 3 hours before the test. This helps for most people.
No matter what option you choose, you need to consider two things:
- Do not forget to take B vitamins and creatine, because the more you drink, the more diluted your sample is.
- Drinking more than one gallon is not advisable because of the risk of overhydration. You should be very careful, because overhydration is very dangerous condition that can be fatal!
If You Pass a Home Drug Test, Will You Pass a Lab Test?
Most home drug tests currently offer 99% accuracy. This means that you will pass a lab test for sure after getting negative result at home. However, it is important to pick the right device for this purpose. Ensure that your home test is of high quality. Go for a trusted brand and always purchase your devices from the proper channels as well.
Even if you fail at home, it is still possible that you pass a lab test, because when you undergo a detox process, every next urine sample is cleaner than previous. You should not freak out during this period. Play for time, drink more water and urinate few times more before giving your sample to a lab.
How Long Do Urine Test Results Take?
Negative results usually come within 1-2 business days. Sometimes, it may take up to 3 days due to transportation delays. Positive results require confirmation testing, which adds another couple of days, so they may take up to 5 days.
However, waiting more than three days does not mean that you have failed the test. Unexpected delays happen sometimes. For example, the laboratory may be overloaded and not cope with the work on time. Be patient and don't panic.
How to Pass a Urine Test for Other Drugs?
In some cases, employers may conduct multi tests to check employees or job applicants for several drugs at once. Standard 5-panel urine test uncludes the so-called “street drugs”, namely: marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines (including methamphetamine), opiates (such as heroin and morphine), and phencyclidine (PCP). The 10-panel test is extended with benzodiazepines, barbiturates, methadone, propoxyphene and methaqualone. In special cases, you can be tested for prescription or over-the-counter drugs also.
To pass urine tests for other drugs, the same methods are used as in the case of weed test: you can either substitute your sample or dilute your urine by drinking plenty of fluids and frequently urinating. You can use all of the above products and recommendations for passing urine test for any drug.
How to Pass a Drug Test If You Are a Woman?
There is also no difference in methods of passing a drug test between men and women. Female urinary system reacts to the body cleansing in the same way as the male, which means that women can use the same tricks and remedies to detox from marijuana. If you want to substitute your sample, you can even use the urine of a donor of the opposite gender. Although male and female urines have differences, drug testing laboratories do not look for hormones or reproductive cells in samples, so you're safe.
What to Do If You Fail?
First, you can ask for another test. Act as if you are surprised and assume that a passive smoking or medication use was the reason of your positive result. If the company refuses to re-test you due to costs, you have an option of offering to pay it yourself. If this request is refused then you can contact a competent attorney to guide you further.
Even if you have failed your second test, you can still apply to a position in another company. The good news here is that your employer is not allowed to discuss this information with another potential employer who wants a reference check, unless you apply for a specific job like pilot or truck driver. Most employers give a vague answer when asked why the employee was fired. It could be categorized under the failure to comply with the policy of the company.
Can You Refuse a Drug Test?
As an employee or potential employee, you can refuse a drug test. However, in most cases, this will be equated to a positive result, and consequently you will be dismissed or rejected a job offer.
Still, there are some solid reasons you can give for refusing. One of them is if your company did not inform you of its drug testing policy. In this case, you can refuse and your employer cannot take action against you.
You can also refuse if you have a condition that precludes you from submitting samples. An example is a person with obsessive-compulsive disorder, who may have issues with collecting oral fluids as well as phobias of urine, blood and other excretions. This disorder cannot be controlled without psychological counseling.
Anyway, refusing a drug test does not entail legal consequences, unless it is required by law or ordered by the court.
Try 2 Month Extensive Cleansing Program if you really care about your health and have enough time for a complete detox.
All of the above methods are reliable and proven. You now know how to pass a drug test, and these tips will help you if you haven’t smoked too much pot recently.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277330/
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190827123239.htm
- http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part026/part026-0163.html
- https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/feea/a47a6e0bae82edca5e1bb86f22063ef0bd88.pdf
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24018317/