Do drug detox kits work?

Dear Reader,  

Preparing for a job search can be stressful! That said, products that are advertised to help you pass a drug test are usually ineffective and pose both legal and health-related risks. However, the good news is you might not be in as much of a pickle as you think.  

For a daily user, it usually takes less than 30 days for marijuana to fully leave your system. Also, since many states have legalized the recreational or medical use of marijuana, these tests are less common than they used to be in the United States. Depending on where you live, it might be against the law for an employer to use a marijuana drug test during the hiring process! Read on to learn more about how long marijuana is detected in your system, the effectiveness of drug detox kits, and how likely it is to be drug tested.  

How long does marijuana stay in your system?  

There’s no way to know for certain how long it will take for your drug test to come up negative. Personal characteristics like your metabolism, age, and weight can impact how long it takes to leave your system. However, generally, for daily users who quit, it usually takes up to 30 days for it to become undetectable in your system by a urine test. These tests detect the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolite, which is a chemical byproduct that indicates that the body is breaking down marijuana. Drug tests actually look for the metabolite because it stays in your body longer than THC.

In rare cases, a test might detect marijuana up to three months after stopping. This usually happens to people who used the drug several times a day for a long time before quitting. THC builds up in your system, and it takes longer for your body to break it down.

Drug testing can be done using hair, blood, or urine. The most common method is using urine because it’s noninvasive and contains chemicals that reliably detect drugs.  

Are drug detox kits effective for passing a drug test for marijuana?  

The short answer is no. They can also harm your health and put you in legal hot water. Detox kits usually work by either diluting or adulterating the urine. Dilution increases the amount of water in your pee, while adulteration refers to adding a substance to it to interfere with the drug test. 

Drinking large amounts of water or using products that increase the amount of water in pee can lower the THC metabolite in the urine sample. This method typically triggers a “negative” result only if the THC metabolite is almost gone from the body. Dilution also decreases the levels of other hormones in your urine, so labs are usually able to detect if someone has tried to flush out their system before testing.  

There are also some health risks to dilution. Drinking too much water in a short period of time can cause electrolyte imbalances and brain function disturbances. Also, some substances that are advertised to “flush out” the system can be dangerous. For example, several people have been hospitalized after taking too much niacin before a drug test.  

Adulterating a urine sample involves adding something else to the sample to destroy the THC or other drug metabolites. These chemicals range from common household cleaning products to special additives that are advertised online. Some of these products may cause a negative result if you already have relatively low levels of THC in your body. However, most of them are easily detected by a lab. In fact, many labs explicitly test for these substances, which would cause you to fail the test regardless.  

How common are employment drug tests?  

In the United States, pre-employment drug tests for marijuana are much less common than they used to be. Over the last decade, many parts of the country have made recreational marijuana legal. Some of these areas have also established policies that prevent employers from using pre-employment marijuana tests. For example, in New York State, employers can’t decide not to hire someone because of a positive test for marijuana. Even in areas that haven’t legalized recreational marijuana, some employers have chosen to stop testing, since the legal framework is changing so quickly.  

Depending on the jobs you’re looking for, you might still be drug-tested. For example, areas that have laws limiting drug testing often have exceptions for people who operate heavy machinery or who work in transportation, healthcare, or with children.  

That said, if you’re applying for a job with a drug test, you may feel safe waiting 30 days to three months after you quit smoking. This will ensure there’s enough time for the marijuana to completely leave your system. In the meantime, you can get your resume ready, network, and consider jobs that don’t require a test.  

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If you choose to quit marijuana completely, there are resources available that can make this process easier. However, depending on your location and profession, you may find that you feel comfortable occasionally using marijuana. With this information in hand, you can make an informed decision about your smoking habits. 

Best of luck on the job hunt!