What You Need To Know About Drug Testing

Have you ever been told you have failed a drug test when you knew you were clean?  Drug tests have been known to produce false-positive results in 5% to 10% of drug test results if the drug test is administered by a testing lab that meets federal standards, but according to statistics about 85% of drug testing labs do not meet federal standards.  If you are tested by a testing lab that does not meet federal standards, your chances of testing false-positive range from 4% to over 50%.  A false-positive result happens when a substance is mistaken for another compound.

There are currently over 250 over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs that can cause false-positives.  Marijuana false positives can be the cause of taking Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Pamprin, Naproxen, and Aleve just to name a few. So when you are asked by the police, doctors, or employees if you take any over-the-counter medications… say “Yes”.  Amoxicillin, tonic water, kidney infection, kidney or liver disease, and diabetes can make you test false-positive for cocaine.  There are over 20 medications that will make you test a false-positive for amphetamine, and it is no myth that poppy seeds can make you test false-positive for opiates. Over-the-counter anti-nausea medications that contain phenergan and Promethean can make you test false-positive for LSD, and over a dozen medications as well as kidney and liver disease or diabetes can make you test false-positive for ecstasy.  

Drug tests did not become popular in the United States until 1981 after a plane crashed into the carrier deck of the U.S. Navy’s USS Nimitz killing and injuring dozens of personnel.  Drug testing was administered immediately, and the results revealed drug use among several enlisted persons and officers.  As a result, the Secretary of the Navy instituted an intensive drug testing program.  After the Navy’s drug testing policies began, other branches of military services soon started implementing testing.  It wasn’t until 1989 that President George Bush Sr. adopted the drug testing policy into the White House Drug Control Strategy.  Some have argued that drug testing violates our Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which is suppose to guard against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. Probable cause is defined as “a reasonable belief that a person has committed a crime.” 

Question… what do cops consider reasonable?  Is it reasonable for cops to have people give their blood without consent? According to the “no refusal” policy, a cop can have a warrant issued to have you forced to give your blood. Excuse me, but that's tampering with the people's  4th Amendment! Forcing people to have a needle stuck in their arm without their consent is unconstitutional under any circumstances.  As of October 24^th, 2011 Bexar County and San Antonio adopted the “no refusal” policy 365 days a year.  The county was given a $1.4 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation for the “no refusal” policy to be an everyday constitutional raping of people’s rights.

Depending on how much marijuana is consumed it can usually be detected in blood tests within 6 hours of consumption.  It generally disappears completely after 22 hours, however THC metabolites stay in the blood for 2-3 days to up to 2 weeks depending on usage. Alcohol can be detected in a blood test 12-24 hours after consumption.  Most other drugs can be detected 1-5 days in the blood after ingestion.

Although there are over-the-counter drugs that can possibly get you out of failing a drug test, a blood test is very accurate and expensive not to mention invasive to human rights.