positive drug test

[chicharito]

Hello,

I was recently drug tested at my job and the test came back positive for THC. I got the lab results. It states, urine: THC level 5 and urine: THC/creat ratio 0.04. They say it was a positive but I thought the cutoff was 15ng/ml. Does anybody know what this 5 means? I'm about to get my license suspended and I don't even use marijuana. Has anybody gone through this before? How could I have THC in my system? could it have been from passive smoke?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Wondering how you knew what the "cut-off" is if you don't know anything about anything?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Testing positive due to secondhand THC smoke is not very likely, unless you were practically on top of the smokers and/or in close unventilated quarters with them for a long period of time. Is it possible that you--unknowingly or otherwise--ingested something with THC in it?

And FYI, BONs don't really buy the secondhand smoke or "I must have eaten it" stories. I'm not accusing you of lying, just stating that BONs don't take these seriously as excuses.

It's possible that it may be a false positive. While not very common, a number of prescription/OTC medications can cause false readings for THC. I would ask that they run a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) test on your sample because that can identify the specific agent(s) causing the result.

If the GCMS shows no THC, you are in the clear. If it does detect THC, however, then you may want to consider getting an attorney to help minimize the potential damage to your license. You may also want to rethink what you tell them because trying to sell a BON on the "contact high" or "brownie" excuse is going to be nearly impossible.

Best of luck.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I'll say this much: THC doesn't just magically find it's way only to the person that's smoking the joint. Any time you can smell (and sometimes when not) byproducts of combustion, you're breathing the byproducts, all of them. THC is not water-soluble. It accumulates in fat. Low doses over enough time...

Also, the threshold is set to "filter out" people that don't use but somehow may come into some kind of casual contact. A result that's considered positive usually means you've somehow managed to take the drug.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Testing positive due to secondhand THC smoke is not very likely, unless you were practically on top of the smokers and/or in close unventilated quarters with them for a long period of time. Is it possible that you--unknowingly or otherwise--ingested something with THC in it?

And FYI, BONs don't really buy the secondhand smoke or "I must have eaten it" stories. I'm not accusing you of lying, just stating that BONs don't take these seriously as excuses.

It's possible that it may be a false positive. While not very common, a number of prescription/OTC medications can cause false readings for THC. I would ask that they run a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GCMS) test on your sample because that can identify the specific agent(s) causing the result.

If the GCMS shows no THC, you are in the clear. If it does detect THC, however, then you may want to consider getting an attorney to help minimize the potential damage to your license. You may also want to rethink what you tell them because trying to sell a BON on the "contact high" or "brownie" excuse is going to be nearly impossible.

Best of luck.

In matters such as this, the BON is not your friend or ally. Stuff bolded above because it's important.

[VANurse2010]

In matters such as this, the BON is not your friend or ally. Stuff bolded above because it's important.

The BON is never your friend or ally. They exist to protect the public, not nurses.