Potential new job - but I'm not sure I can pass a drug test. Help!

Some data points that may or may not be useful, from a hiring manager's perspective: 1. I work for a company that requires drug tests. The tender of employment is contingent on taking the drug test, and passing. If you refuse, the offer is voided. I've heard here before that people think this is illegal; I assure you, it is not. (We do a substantial amount of work with municipal, state, and the Federal government; we are very, very careful about even the hint of illegality or impropriety). 2. We do test for marijuana usage. I know a casual pot smoker who suspended smoking about two weeks before his drug test, and passed. I also know someone who went to a party over a weekend and failed the following Friday... The only way to find out is - to take the test. 3. The company can not in advance ask for medical records (the "doctor's note"); you can offer them in response to the results of your test, and hope for the best. 4. The hiring company absolutely can not tell your ex-boss that you failed your drug test - that is against the law. I'm not saying they won't bring it up in casual conversation at a BBQ... but it's not kosher, and you'd have recourse if it ends up affecting you negatively.

Drinking lots of water and/or cranberry juice weeks before the test won't help you. However, drinking lots of water (not drowning, but a good healthy amount) the day before and the day of the test are your best bet. Most urine drug screens measure a concentration, not a binary result, and if you naturally dilute your urine, that will help your odds. Don't go nuts though, or your urine will be clear and they'll make you retake. Make sure to void like two times earlier in the day, and try to collect the urine mid-stream if the test allows for it. You should be fine, though. Job hiring processes can take a surprisingly long time.

As to requiring prescription proof for the "crazy meds," I suspect that just means for drugs that may show up on a screen, like opiates (which many people take legally for pain) or benzos (ditto for anxiety, etc). Also, my experience in a mandatory drug test was that it came after the employment offer, not before an offer was made, so you probably have time (mine was quick, but I had zero risk of not passing). Also, whoever mentioned HIPAA is confused. An employer in this context is not a covered entity for HIPAA privacy and in any case, in the privacy context, asking for health information is not prohibited (if they were a covered entity, disclosing PHI is the no-no). As to HIPAA nondiscrimination, again, it's not the employer but the health plan that is the covered entity (i.e. a group health plan can't use health information to deny health coverage or charge more, etc). HIPAA does not extend to employers (except to the extent that the employer is acting as the plan administrator, usually in the context of a self-funded plan). If the information that they're asking for is health related, the more likely problem they'd face would be related to the ADA.

Two anecdotes: 1. My agency (a non-profit) has drug-screening clearly spelled out in the application that all employees must complete, but only actually administers a drug-screening for people being paid by a grant that requires it. 2. A friend applying for an accounting position and was told there would be a drug-screen as condition of employment. He was also a pretty regular pot smoker. He did the drink lots of water, stopped using, etc, as soon as he applied. He aced the interview, was hired, worked there for two weeks - no drug screen. He decided all was well, smoked that weekend. Monday of the third week he was told, "Oh yeah, we need to get that drug screening done." Failed the screening and was fired.

You don't mention whether the Big Scary Drug Testing Policy says anything about random checks. Most places that take the step of checking everyone they hire would seem likely to leave open the opportunity for random checks. (Heck, most places that don't bother to do it on hiring even give themselves the option of testing you later "randomly.") Look into that. Because honestly, if you've been a daily smoker for 6 years and aren't planning to quit or drastically change your smoking habits - this isn't the place for you to be working. Anti-drug workplace policies are designed to keep you out, or get rid of you, or ensure that in the event of a problem you have little or no protection. That's a really bad foot to start off on.

2) Take the test. From what I understand it's much more expensive to test for pot, so most tests do not include it. I would consider this bad advice. I worked in a drug screening lab seven years ago. The vast majority of test panels include cannabinoids, including the standard 5-panel that 90% of our clients used. Based on your usage habits you probably would fail the test as far as 4-6 weeks out (but I quote these figures from the memo on my old desk, and I am not a medical professional). If I were you, I would refuse to take the test (politely) and decline employment on principle if required, without burning bridges.

Just out of curiosity--you mention you are in the Pacific Northwest...is it legal for medicinal purposes there? If so, would you be able to get a prescription and then be able to submit a "doctors note" when you fail? IANAL but if you have a legal reason to be using that, they shouldn't be able to do anything about it.

This could be murky ethically speaking, but Quick Fix can be used quite successfully. http://www.quickfixurine.com/ I am NOT saying I have done this...repeatedly, but I AM saying in a business test situation you are unlikely to be followed into the bathroom itself. A lack of supervision provides many opportunities and as many others have previously mentioned most business-like drug tests are cheapo one shot pieces of crap. Furthermore, the test is likely more of a threat than a promise. good luck.

So the *interview* is later this week. Usually employment is contingent on taking a drug test. In the mean time, before they get to test you, they have to offer the job to you and you accept it (take your time!), put in two weeks at the old job and THEN you start the new job and are tested. So. Don't panic. You probably still have at least 3 weeks until your drug test. I've NEVER been tested at an *interview*. I would imagine it would be unbelievably costly to employers to test all candidates. They usually test only the ones in the very last stages of coming aboard.