Random Drug Testing

[Lucky2011]

I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge on my problem. I am on probation and have random drug tests. They waited 45 days to do a baseline test on me and ever since this PO has been on my ass accusing of being a liar and she says I have to be still using. My 1st test I was at 198 and was a chronic smoker, all day every day, so I imagine I was probably way higher back then. A this time she told me that I should have been clean in 30 days so she was going to monitor me closer. So she tests me 6 days later and I was 193, not low enough for her but it was going down. She tested me again 8 days later and called to say my levels have not changed and that I have to be using and I must me lying and she threatened me with treatment. I have not used in all this time and I believe that had they tested right away she would see that I have dropped a lot. I have Chronic Pancreatitis and cannot process fats, along with chronic fatigue and malnutrition issues, so how can I clear the THC-COOH out of my system if it is fat soluble? The weekly calls accusing me of being a liar are really stressing me out. We have never met before and she doesn't seem to be taking any of my other issues into consideration here. I am a little overweight and can't exercise long enough to really do much, although I do give it my all. I just don't understand why the Intake PO said that my 1st test means nothing and that as long as each test after that is lower I'm in compliance. When I asked her about that, she told me it was my baseline but I was 4 times higher then I should be. A opposed to what? What is she comparing this to because that was my 1st UA ever. I am not the average person and even without the disease, someone like me can't possibly clean out in 30 days, but she just thinks I'm lying and that's why I wasn't clean in a month. Now I'm feeling very anxious and stressed which is affecting my pancreas. I have never been in any trouble before, so the judge gave me a deal where as long as I comply with the terms of my probation nothing will ever appear on my record. This wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for my husband. If I fail and get charged with that felony, my husband can't live with me as the terms of his probation are to not be around any felons, even if it's his wife. Now why the hell would I screw up my life just to smoke? I'm not addicted, I used it for my extreme nausea and so that I could eat. My state isn't a Medical Cannibas state so I have no choice but to stop even though it works better than any prescription I've been given. I am at a loss here and am so very confused. I feel like this woman is just out to get me or something. I asked for a blood test and she stated that they only do those for DUI's, but that would prove that I haven't used. No one seems to have any answers for me. I'm at a loss here and don't know what to do. Someone please help! I hope that I did this one right. I am new to this and am just trying to get some information on what to do. Sorry my other post wasn't posted correctly and I wasn't trying to hijack someones post...sorry

Lucky2011 Reviewed by Lucky2011 on 05-17-2013. Random Drug Testing I was wondering if anyone has any knowledge on my problem. I am on probation and have random drug tests. They waited 45 days to do a baseline test on me and ever since this PO has been on my ass accusing of being a liar and she says I have to be still using. My 1st test I was at 198 and was a chronic smoker, all day every day, so I imagine I was probably way higher back then. A this time she told me that I should have been clean in 30 days so she was going to monitor me closer. So she tests me Rating: 5

[Lucky2011]

Wow, 600 views and not one reply. I've been reading all these ridiculous posts that aren't even true and people reply. I'm a new person asking a question that will gravely affect my life and I get nothing.

[Burnt Toast]

Well, what exactly was your question in regards to testing negative on a drug test?



And keep in mind that not all of those 600 views were made by registered members. Unregistered individuals (aka "Guests") can view threads too and drive up the view count. They just cannot reply to threads until they register and become members.

[Burnt Toast]

Well, what exactly was your question in regards to testing negative on a drug test?

..In other words, cut to the chase, skip the huge wall of text, and get directly to your immediate question(s).

[Lucky2011]

Ok, so how can my numbers still be so high after over 30 days? I work out as much as my body lets me, I am vegetarian, drink nothing but water, yet I am not dropping. In fact after 8 days I was still the same level....My PO insists everyone will be clean after 30 days of no use, so I have to be lying in her mind....If that's the case why am I not clean? What's the longest you've seen someone take? I thought telling you my situation might give you a better picture...sorry

[Burnt Toast]

You have to understand a couple of things:

A). Drinking water in the days before a U/A is of no help. THC is NOT water-soluble unlike other types of drugs. Therefore, you cannot rid the body of THC by drinking copius amounts of water.
THC is fat-soluble. THC is stored in the fat cells and remain there until the fat cells are burned for energy. When fat cells burn, the stored THC metabolites are released back into the bloodstream. The kidneys filter the THC metabolites from the bloodstream and are deposited into the bladder for the eventual exit. The rate of filteration is unaffected by copius water consumption.
Drinking water is only helpful on the day of the U/A. Thats because the water consumption serves to dilute the THC metabolite concentration that is present in the bladder. You are NOT eliminating THC, but instead the THC metabolite concentration is "thinned-out" to where a urine sample could register below the cutoff thresholds of the drug screen (that is providing that the THC metabolite concentration is not too high). This dilution phenomena, however, is only temporary - once the fluids ingested had all been urinated out, the bladder is replenished with fresh THCA-laden urine, and thus the donor is right back to square one.

B). Exercise is only helpful if a person has weeks to prepare for a U/A. Exercising 3 days or less before a U/A can be detrimental. Thats because youre burning fat cells - which releases THC metabolites into the bloodstream and end up in the urine, as earlier pointed out. So for 3 days before a U/A, you want to curtail all fat-burning activities and be as dormant as possible until after the U/A. That way you wont be releasing a bunch of THC metabolites into the bloodstream, which will end up in the urine to be detected.

My PO insists everyone will be clean after 30 days of no use,

That P/O is dead wrong. The "30 day rule" does not apply to "everyone". Each persons body is different and metabolic rates vary from person to person. We've had posters here that still tested positive long after 30 days were up. Its not an uncommon thing. We've even had a couple of posters (MollylovesMary, for one) who still tested positive after 100 days of abstination.

As far as your wranglings with the P/Os accusations, thats something you need to take up with the attorney thats handling your case. You still have retained the services of an attorney, have you?

Probation drug testing is a real PITA. A person placed on probation has relinquished many of his/her rights, including the right to a fair drug test (yea, I know. thats a contradiction in terms). Because of this, there are really no rules in the game of probation drug testing. And unless you have very effective legal counsel, you may just have to put up with the antics of the P/O and tell your side to a judge - convince the judge one way or another that you have not resumed using cannabis and that youre very willing to take a blood test - even if you have to pay out of your pocket. Blood testing for drug use, however is not going to be cheap.

Which is the likely reason why your P/O wont test your blood. It sounds more like a question of economics on the P/Os part and is using the "blood tests are for DUI's only" excuse to mask the unwillingness to spend the money necessary to test blood. P/O's can be big cheapskates too.

[Lucky2011]

Thank you for the info. Yes, I do have a very good attorney and have already decided that I am going to call him tomorrow morning as I just found out I have another UA tomorrow. The judge had me on very low risk and monthly UA's. After my baseline was done, she decided immediately that 198 was too high, even for a baseline, what the hell?? My question was as opposed to what, this was my very 1st test. I was then taken off low risk and put on weekly UA's. I feel like she really has it out for me and I have no clue why because we have never met and I have never been in trouble before. What should I do tonight to prep myself? I don't want to dilute, because then she'll think I was using for sure. This lady is causing my Chronic Pancreatitis to flare up from all the stress!

[Burnt Toast]

A THC metabolite concentration of 198 ng/ml is quite high, given that the test used was a GC/MS, which carries a cutoff threshold of 15 ng/ml. Since a quantitative value was provided, they did not perform a 50 ng assay screen since assays are a pass/fail endeavor and have no ability to yield a quantitative value.

As far as what can you do to prep, theres really nothing that you can do except try to dilute on the day of the U/A and hope for the best. Any fat-burning activities at this point will only release more THC metabolites into your bloodstream, which will end up in the urine and the sample cup.

[Lucky2011]

She did tell me that I needed to get down to the 50 ng to be clean, so I don't know what they are doing because an assay screen wouldn't show the level right? I am drinking Smart Water and Powerade Zero, will that help or is fluid fluid when it comes to these things?

[Burnt Toast]

She did tell me that I needed to get down to the 50 ng to be clean, so I don't know what they are doing because an assay screen wouldn't show the level right?

Exactly. Assays have no ability to give a quantitative analysis like Ive already stated. A GC/MS has to be performed in order to obtain quantitative values. And the GC/MS does not have a 50 ng cutoff threshold, so theres yet another example of the P/O not knowing what the hell s/he is talking about.

I am drinking Smart Water and Powerade Zero, will that help or is fluid fluid when it comes to these things?

Fluids like powerade or gatorade are more helpful than water because they help keep the S/G (specific gravity) within satisfactory ranges. S/G is tested along with creatinine in order to determine an overly-diluted sample. Drinking a bunch of water causes the S/G and creatinine levels to take a nosedive and thus sending up the "diluted" flags at the lab.