Do Standard Employee Drug Tests Still Look for THC?

doctor holding a container of urine to be used for a standard employee drug test

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There comes a time in everyone's life when they're tested. It could be an ethical dilemma, emotional difficulty, or a financial crisis, but few tests are as immediately stomach-dropping as learning of a pre-employment drug test you aren't prepared for. Because even in states that have legal recreational marijuana, there are still many jobs that use a standard employee drug test as a screen for employment.

Even if it's been a month since you smoked your favorite strain, there may still be THC metabolites in your system. That's why, if you're facing an impending drug test, you'd be smart to invest in a detox regimen that's quick, reliable, and actively eliminates THC metabolites.

Why Companies Still Test for THC in Legal States

high quality photo of marijuana bud growing on plant

There are a few reasons why a company might still test for THC metabolites even in fully legal states. For example:

  • They might have federal contracts or otherwise be heavily regulated by the government.
  • The company may employ safety-sensitive positions, such as drivers, equipment operators, and pilots.
  • Many companies, especially ones that operate in multiple states, still use the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 as a guideline.

But ultimately, it's up to an individual company to decide. Under the law, employers have the legal right to maintain a drug and alcohol-free work environment and are allowed to test applicants and employees, so long as (potential) employees are clearly informed about policies.

Notification about the policies must include details about pre-employment screening and random drug testing. In some cases, an offer of employment may be conditional pending the results of a standard employee drug test.

Some employers have a company policy that directly addresses marijuana use, while others do not. Likewise, some companies still perform drug tests but do not screen for THC metabolites. However, unless you read that exclusion specifically, you have to assume a standard employee drug test will detect cannabis use.

How Long Are THC Metabolites Present?

holding a drug testing strip

Calculating this depends on your physical attributes (height, weight, etc.), your metabolism, and the frequency and dosage of your cannabis use. One-time use is typically detectable in urine anywhere from five days to a week, whereas a daily smoker could have THC metabolites detectable for several weeks or months.

If you aren't quite sure where you stand, there's a helpful detox calculator on Green Gone's website to help you figure out what product is best to get you ready to pass a standard employee drug test.

The best way to know you're clean is to test yourself first; that's why Green Gone detox kits come with self-testing strips. These paper strips give you a clear, thumbs up or down for THC metabolite detection.

Does A Positive Result Count Against a Medical Consumer?

medical marijuana bud on white table

Short answer, maybe. There are several states like Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and a few more that have statutes explicitly prohibiting employment discrimination against medical marijuana users.

That may be less helpful if you signed a pre-employment agreement to stay drug-free. Though, in a few states (including Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts), an employee who tests positive for marijuana, but is legally allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes, has a viable claim against an employer for enforcing drug-free workplace policies without accommodations or other considerations.

But that would require litigation and would most likely come long after you lost your job. All that might be too severe a cost for a failed drug test. In many cases, passing a standard employee drug test is a much more reliable solution.

Permanent Detox

green gone bottle
Courtesy of greengonedetox.com

The purpose is not fool a test, but to actually metabolize, flush, and otherwise eliminate THC metabolites, creating an actual detox for your system. Unlike many other detox products, Green Gone detox kits do more than mask THC metabolites or water down test results.

That's why they use natural, planet-friendly gel capsules and vegan ingredients in their kits to ensure your detoxification is as natural and healthy as possible.

Premium Natural Ingredients

Green Gone uses five all-natural ingredients to optimize THC metabolite flushing:

St. John's Wort – St. John's Wort is plant that naturally induces liver enzymes, and THC is heavily metabolized by the liver. St. John's Wort has been shown to more than double the enzyme systems responsible for the metabolism of THC, THC-COOH, and other THC metabolites.

Sodium Bicarb – This ingredient increases the pH of urine. A limiting factor to clearing THC metabolites from the body is that the metabolites are too similar in pH to urine. Keeping your urine pH a few units higher than usual greatly increases the solubility of THC metabolites in your urine.

White Willow (15% extract) – White Willow contains salicylates similar to those found in aspirin. Salicylates have a similar chemical structure to THC metabolites, and by binding a salicylate in place of a THC metabolite, the free metabolite can be both metabolized and cleared.

Horsetail extract – A mild, all-natural way to increase urine output, detoxing your system faster. With the combined effects of the first three ingredients, you have: increased liver activity and increased urine pH, and with this mild diuretic, not only are you making more urine, but the urine you are making is flushing significantly higher concentrations of metabolites than before.

Psyllium husk – The majority of THC metabolites are excreted through the bowels. By adding psyllium husk, a source of fiber, metabolite reabsorption is minimized in the gut and lower intestinal track, and more metabolites will be eliminated through defecation.

Be sure to follow the detox recommendations in the kit. In order to make sure you're on track to pass the test and to give yourself peace of mind, you should make sure to use the test strips provided with the kit. Also, you should wait 24 hours after taking the last detox capsules before taking a urine test.

Extra Credit

container of urine used for standard employee drug test

Now, you know about one of the best products to detoxify your body before a standard employee drug test. Should you ever need to pass one, you can rest easy knowing there's an effective and natural way to get your system clear of THC metabolites.

Green Gone is a proud partner of Leafbuyer.