Can You Fail a Drug Test From Second Hand Smoke

Can you Fail a drug test from second hand smoke

Along with the rise in people smoking weed comes a rise in people asking can you fail a drug test from second hand smoke…

It’s not just stoners who smoke a lot of weed. With legalization here in several states smoking pot for recreation or to treat medical conditions is becoming not just more accessible but more mainstream. More people smoking weed means more people are around people smoking weed. And that could lead to inhaling second hand smoke and incidental contact highs. Which brings us to the question is it possible to fail a drug test from second hand smoke?

What is second hand marijuana smoke?

First of all what is second hand marijuana smoke? Basically second hand marijuana smoke is smoke inhaled from weed being smoked by others. The weed could be an a voluntary involuntarily inhaled.

Can you get high from second hand smoke?

Well that depends. How long are you exposed to the weed smoke? How dense is that pot smoke in relationship to the air in the room? How big’s the room? What’s the amount of THC in the weed? Under the right conditions, if you’re trying really really hard, yes, you can get a very brief high from second hand smoke. It’s called a contact high. And you’ll see what we mean later in the article. Anyhow know what’s great about a contact high? They’re typically free—if you’re down. Getting high for free is awesome. Possibly failing a drug test because of a free contact high? Not so much.

Can you fail a drug test from second hand smoke?

So now that you know it’s possible to get high from second hand weed smoke how possible is it to fail a drug test because of it? We did some research and came a cross a published report. And it definitely answers whether or not someone can fail a piss test from second hand weed smoke.

Back in October 2014 scientists decided to investigate if secondhand smoke from “strong strains of cannabis” could lead to positive drug test results. They published the results early last year in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology. Apparently researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine got people to hot box in the name of science. They paired several stoners with nonsmokers and put them in a sealed compartment together for an hour. One smoked a joint. The other just watched.

The 12 nonsmoking participants were then subject to a urine drug test. They had to pee into a cup 13 times over the next 34 hours. Their urine was tested for 9-carboxy-THC the marijuana metabolite commonly measured in drug tests. The scientists discovered that the urine levels of the metabolite surpassed typically detectable levels (50 nanogram per milliliter) in only one experiment participant. And the metabolite was only detectable during a brief window four to six hours after inhaling the second hand smoke.

The scientists also tried a test where they ventilated the hot box to decrease the concentration of weed smoke. When they tested the participants none of their urine levels came close to reaching the 50 nanogram per milliliter threshold.

Positive tests are “likely to be rare” from secondhand weed smoke, the authors concluded, “limited to the hours immediately post-exposure, and occurring only under environmental circumstances where exposure is obvious.”

Pro tip: Don’t hot box a car with several stoners for several hours and go to a job interview soon after and pee in a cup. Anyhow when the scientists used a blood drug test, which is much more sensitive and rarely used in the workplace, the results were different. They could detect blood THC levels above 20 nanogram per milliliter in several participants hours after exposure. However the concentration of THC dipped below this threshold for all participants within 24 hours.

Can you get high from smelling weed?

Can you get high from smelling weed? Yep you read that correctly. Someone actually wrote to us asking; can you get high from smelling weed? We told them that it would be awesome if you could. People wouldn’t have to destroy weed by burning it or vaporizing it or digesting it to get high. We also told them we loved the smell of weed and that many others do as well.

In fact last year the Oregon Court of Appeals compared pot smoke to perfume saying, “some people undoubtedly find the scent pleasing.” They then tossed out bogus charges against Jared Lang. Dude had been originally convicted of criminal activity when an arresting officer claimed, in a search warrant, that Lang was creating a “physically offensive” smell by smoking weed. That’s the last time someone in Oregon gets busted because someone else is offended by the smell of second hand weed smoke.

So there you have it. Yes you can get high from being around people smoking weed and inhaling their second hand marijuana smoke. You can also fail a drug test because of it. And too bad second hand smoke isn’t offensive.

How to pass a drug test if you’ve smoked weed
First, purchase an at-home drug test from Amazon. Next, test yourself to see if you’re even at risk of failing. If you do fail, your next step is to stop consuming weed long enough for your body to process it out. How long does that typically take? Well, it usually takes about three to four weeks. Time will vary by person depending on the speed of their metabolism and how much they’ve consumed.

Green Gone Detox

If you don’t have time to spare your best bet is to use a THC detox product. We always recommend Green Gone Detox. It’s an all-natural permanent THC cleanse unlike THC detox drinks which are typically “masking” agents—meaning they don’t physically pull THC metabolites out of your system permanently. Instead they decrease the concentration of metabolites found in your urine for a brief period through dilution.

Sometimes the dilution method is enough to work. But if you’re a heavy user don’t count on it. A permanent THC detox is what you need. It’s really the only way to increase your body’s output and elimination of the THC metabolites that’ll cause you to fail.

Have any experience with second hand smoke? Let us know in the comments below…



9 Responses to “Can You Fail a Drug Test From Second Hand Smoke”

  1. Mary

    I have been around many people smoking pot. I have been drug tested for at least 4- years. To my shock, I tested positive for 3 months in a row. I do Not smoke Pot. For people out there in a room filled with smoke; this is a Warning for all of you! If it happened to me, it can happen to you. I just took took another urinalysis test today. It’s been 29-days since I’ve been around any smoke but I am still afraid it could be in my system. The pot today is much stronger than it used to be. People have given me so much advice, all different and some confusing. Even saying it ( pot ) could stay in my system for up to 45-days! WHAT? I’m not even a smoker; this is crazy. Well that’s what happened to me. Think and be smart if you have anything to lose. I wish I had more information before I put myself in jeopardy. Maybe I can help someone else with my honestly.

  2. Alexander

    I just fail a drug test, I spent 2 night in motel 6 in DC, win I first walked in a strong smell of weed hit me, people down stairs, we’re smokein and next to me or next door, I thought about it but people told me I can’t get second hand….but I failed….and lost a good job

  3. sai

    Hi Alexander,

    When did you go for a drug test after spending 2 nights in a hotel ? Did you go immediately next day or after few days staying in motel

  4. Big Jim

    Though people who make people fail drug tests are just jerks in general because they don’t care about anyone but themselves, the only way to eliminate this stupidity is to legalize marijuana and stop punishing people who have it in their system because sometimes it isn’t their fault.

  5. Megan

    I’ve been around a lot of people smoking, but I don’t smoke. I’ve passed hair tests and urine tests, but after reading this, I’m nervous about it. It’s still illegal where I live, but unless I want to stay in my house 24/7, I’m going to be around the smoke, at some point.

  6. Joket

    I have found that if you are around people that smoke secondhand smoke even if that Test shows up a little bit you can’t put the risk of your own life and your own job at the hands of somebody else they see a faint line they write down positive you are showing a positive results

  7. Joket

    I have found that if you are around people that smoke secondhand smoke even if that Test shows up a little bit you can’t put the risk of your own life and your own job at the hands of somebody else they see a faint line they write down positive you are showing a positive results I am a truck driver I do not take the risk if there is people smoking pot around me I get out of Dodge

  8. Harry Weston

    I have been around people that smoke weed all my life, I had went to a basement party where there was a lot of weed being smoked and the nxt day was hit with a random drug test and fail big time. The bad part is I lost my job a good one at that and I don’t smoke weed!

  9. Laura Klema

    Hi, could you tell me if you know or if you did a study on a test about hair on this.

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