Question about drug testing during a pre-employment physical

[2Xtreme21]

So I just back from my physical for my internship with US Steel and they drug tested me, which was expected. I passed the piss test with no problem, but then the nurse took hair samples as well. My question is, I had smoked one hash joint once in June while I was in France and a very small amount mixed with tobacco in a bowl at a party in October. Thus, I might have a very small amount of THC in my hair follicles. My question is, will that even show up, since they seem to do those tests to test for regular usage? And if it does, do you think that small amount will do anything to my qualification for employment?

 

[newb111]

If the test is already over, who cares? You'll find out what happens from them soon enough.

 

[NL5]

you should be fine.........

 

[Alistar7]

http://www.passusa.com/go-hair-drug-test.shtml

There are other factors that would need to be known to make a more educated guess. Please update when you get the results though

 

[SuperjetMatt]

Wow, I am surprised that a pre-employment screen goes as far as taking hair samples.

 

[Pugnax]

Have you cut your hair in 6 months?

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: Pugnax
Have you cut your hair in 6 months?

Yes. Not recently though. =\

 

[Beev]

I doubt it would still be there, but I imagine that ANY trace in your system is automatic grounds for not getting employed. Should be, at least.

 

[bignateyk]

heh. You shoulda shaved yourself from head to toe before the test. Just tell them you had cancer or something...

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
heh. You shoulda shaved yourself from head to toe before the test. Just tell them you had cancer or something...

Or bleached it all, worn pink contacts, and told them you were an albino.

 

[theeedude]

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: bignateyk
heh. You shoulda shaved yourself from head to toe before the test. Just tell them you had cancer or something...

Or bleached it all, worn pink contacts, and told them you were an albino.

Or shaved it all, worn pink contacts and told them you were an albino with cancer...

 

[Alistar7]

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: Alistar7

Originally posted by: bignateyk
heh. You shoulda shaved yourself from head to toe before the test. Just tell them you had cancer or something...

Or bleached it all, worn pink contacts, and told them you were an albino.

Or shaved it all, worn pink contacts and told them you were an albino with cancer...

Yes of course, I am sure they would much rather hire someone with a possible terminal illness.....

 

[EagleKeeper]

On your employment form, how did you answer questions about drug use?

If you said no and anything turns up in the tests; forget about the job.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: Beev
I doubt it would still be there, but I imagine that ANY trace in your system is automatic grounds for not getting employed. Should be, at least.

Ever heard of second hand smoke?

Edit: As for your question OP, I'm sure someone on here can find a link with real info, but from what I remember, hair follicles can hold THC for months.

Knowing that, I still wouldn't be very worried, considering you hardly smoked anything. You could probably pass it off (or they could) as second hand smoke since the amount of THC would be so small.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
On your employment form, how did you answer questions about drug use?

If you said no and anything turns up in the tests; forget about the job.

Do they actually ask about drug use rather than drug convictions?

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: SuperjetMatt
Wow, I am surprised that a pre-employment screen goes as far as taking hair samples.

It's my understanding that hair tests are significantly more expensive than urine tests. I'm surprised as well.

Maybe they don't plan on testing the hair, they just wanna put the fear o' God into their new applicants to weed out the one's that might really have something to hide.

 

[Renob]

If the test is already over, who cares? You'll find out what happens from them soon enough.

What a nub!

Dont worry even if they do the hair test you will be fine!

 

[SoulAssassin]

How long is your hair and how close to the scalp did they go?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: mrkun

Originally posted by: Common Courtesy
On your employment form, how did you answer questions about drug use?

If you said no and anything turns up in the tests; forget about the job.

Do they actually ask about drug use rather than drug convictions?

Sometimes or in the case of highly regulated industries you bet they do (transportation).

Hint - don't answer honestly as you will be immediately disqualified.

 

[SuperjetMatt]

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: SuperjetMatt
Wow, I am surprised that a pre-employment screen goes as far as taking hair samples.

It's my understanding that hair tests are significantly more expensive than urine tests. I'm surprised as well.

Maybe they don't plan on testing the hair, they just wanna put the fear o' God into their new applicants to weed out the one's that might really have something to hide.

Yup, my thoughts as well.
From what I recall, hair analysis involves full blown spectral analysis of the material.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: SuperjetMatt

Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt

Originally posted by: SuperjetMatt
Wow, I am surprised that a pre-employment screen goes as far as taking hair samples.

It's my understanding that hair tests are significantly more expensive than urine tests. I'm surprised as well.

Maybe they don't plan on testing the hair, they just wanna put the fear o' God into their new applicants to weed out the one's that might really have something to hide.

Yup, my thoughts as well.
From what I recall, hair analysis involves full blown spectral analysis of the material.

I wouldn't put it past them. It's United States Steel-- a fairly large Fortune 500 company.

They asked me about drug convictions on my application, to which I replied (honestly) no.

They cut ~2 inches deep in my hair. That's about 90 days worth of use, which would include my latest in Oct. Seriously though, I took about 3 hits from an apple that didn't work well anyway. Still, I'm worried about literally how fine these tests are and what the threshold is.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: Tizyler

Originally posted by: Beev
I doubt it would still be there, but I imagine that ANY trace in your system is automatic grounds for not getting employed. Should be, at least.

Ever heard of second hand smoke?

Edit: As for your question OP, I'm sure someone on here can find a link with real info, but from what I remember, hair follicles can hold THC for months.

Knowing that, I still wouldn't be very worried, considering you hardly smoked anything. You could probably pass it off (or they could) as second hand smoke since the amount of THC would be so small.

I work in a hospital and hear the nurses talk about the excuses, this is one and it doesnt work. You cant get enough thc in your system to fail a test if 5 people in a car were smoking with the windows up

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer

Originally posted by: Tizyler

Originally posted by: Beev
I doubt it would still be there, but I imagine that ANY trace in your system is automatic grounds for not getting employed. Should be, at least.

Ever heard of second hand smoke?

Edit: As for your question OP, I'm sure someone on here can find a link with real info, but from what I remember, hair follicles can hold THC for months.

Knowing that, I still wouldn't be very worried, considering you hardly smoked anything. You could probably pass it off (or they could) as second hand smoke since the amount of THC would be so small.

I work in a hospital and hear the nurses talk about the excuses, this is one and it doesnt work. You cant get enough thc in your system to fail a test if 5 people in a car were smoking with the windows up

Thats not true. I know from the experience of a friend of mines. Hot boxing + drug test = failure.

P.S. Pot can go back in your hair for as much as 6 months for chronic users, but generally not for one time users. Also gettingg a haircut wouldn't change anything as they test by the root of the hair primarily.

 

[Canai]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer

Originally posted by: Tizyler

Originally posted by: Beev
I doubt it would still be there, but I imagine that ANY trace in your system is automatic grounds for not getting employed. Should be, at least.

Ever heard of second hand smoke?

Edit: As for your question OP, I'm sure someone on here can find a link with real info, but from what I remember, hair follicles can hold THC for months.

Knowing that, I still wouldn't be very worried, considering you hardly smoked anything. You could probably pass it off (or they could) as second hand smoke since the amount of THC would be so small.

I work in a hospital and hear the nurses talk about the excuses, this is one and it doesnt work. You cant get enough thc in your system to fail a test if 5 people in a car were smoking with the windows up

Yeah I'm going to call bullshit on this one. unless those five people are sharing a one hitter, if you're sitting in a hotboxed car, you're going to be inhaling smoke and thusly THC and other cannabinoid particles.

I've heard that hair samples will show positive in a THC test regardless of age, but they only take a bit of the hair to test the latest six months or so of growth.

 

[MyThirdEye]

I'm sure you'll be fine. You could always say that you were around people smoking, and get 2nd hand.