Marijuana

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how long does marijuana stay in your system if your not a chronic smoker? I have a friend who smoked a month ago and is scheduled for a drug test and is a little concerned.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

THC is fat-soluble, so it tends to hang around in the body for a while. I can't give you a set X hours/days/weeks as every person is different and metabolizes substances differently. I've seen people keep popping positive for THC more than a month after their last use (and yes, that was indeed their last use as they were getting weekly quantitive screens, so I could track the numbers and see the levels decline).

Your friend is going to have to take their chances on the drug test.

Of course, the easiest way to solve this problem is not to use marijuana in the first place, especially if one knows drug tests are a possibility.

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear. Best of luck.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Ideally, the THC should be out of their system already. But the best bet for a nurse is NEVER to touch marijuana in any form, as it is not compatible with the vast majority of nursing jobs. Don't even take a chance. It's not worth it.

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Thanks!

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Wow....

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Most likely it is out of their system by now unless they are a heavy and daily user... But if this person is a nurse I wouldn't chance it. Any positive for marijuana, even for just a pre-employment test, requires the facility to report the nurse to the BON and they will have big problems.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
But the best bet for a nurse is NEVER to touch marijuana in any form, as it is not compatible with the vast majority of nursing jobs. Don't even take a chance. It's not worth it.

And this is true even in California, where we just had the MJ National Holiday (4/20), Colorado, and other states that have decriminalized MJ use. Employers still have the right to require that their employees not use marijuana, and BONs still have a hard-line stance against nurses using it as well.

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

She should buy a home test kit and see if she's positive. Most employers use similar cut-offs/sensitivities although some do use more sensitive testing -- if she's pos on a home kit, she'll almost definitely pee hot for the drug screen.

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Most likely it is out of their system by now unless they are a heavy and daily user... But if this person is a nurse I wouldn't chance it. Any positive for marijuana, even for just a pre-employment test, requires the facility to report the nurse to the BON and they will have big problems.

He is a Nurse! If he refuses a drug test within 48 hours for a new job offer.. what happens?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
He is a Nurse! If he refuses a drug test within 48 hours for a new job offer.. what happens?

He won't get the job, but likely will not be reported as he is not an employee. But sooner or later it will catch up to him, and quitting now and forever is the safest course of action.

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Yeah this is an easy one. He doesn't have to take a new job so just refuse the test. Have him call and say he's reconsidered and wait till the weed is outta his system

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

One month may be safe, or it may not. Depends on too many factors to say definitively. I'd say better safe than sorry and decline the job offer to avoid the test. A positive could have the potential to be very career damaging, it's just not worth the risk in my opinion.

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