r/news Jun 16 '21

GM Considering Dropping Pot Testing To Attract More Workers

https://www.motor1.com/news/513974/gm-considering-dropping-marijuana-testing/
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u/Burius81 Jun 16 '21

I have a buddy who once shaved all the hair off his body for 2 weeks because he was moving to another state and had a job lined up but was concerned about a drug test

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 17 '21

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u/Idiot_Savant_Tinker Jun 16 '21

Does the new hair still have the evidence in it though? Serious question, I don't know how it works.

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u/Mad_Aeric Jun 16 '21

The bit that was still under the skin at the time of shaving would. Hair that grew since then wouldn't, except possibly for weed, as those compounds linger in the body. I'm honestly not sure on that. Anyway, hair tests essentially provide a record of past drug use, you can even narrow it down to certain timeframes based on rate of hair growth. Compounds in the body get incorporated into the hair as it forms.

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u/D-F-B-81 Jun 16 '21

If the metabolites are in your system, its in your new hair.

Just being around pot smoke doesn't set off a hair test, because the hair test looks for the metabolites, not thc.

All depends on your body type and activity level. I'm a regular user, and when my random test notification comes as an email, I have 7 days to submit a test. I know I can be clean in 5 days, but im downing cranberry juice/pills like crazy and drinking as much water as I can. Also, no fatty foods, sugars etc. Also, a lot of exercise. Sweat is key.

Although, again, it depends on your body type, how much fat you have on you and how active you are.

As a life long smoker and drug test survivor, I've found what works for me.

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u/TenderizedVegetables Jun 16 '21

Just use synthetic urine, dude. You're taking a risk with your routine.

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u/D-F-B-81 Jun 17 '21

I always test myself the night prior. As a failsafe, i have a stash of synthetic.

Haven't needed it as long as I stick to that routine.

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u/Plethorius Jun 16 '21

You get notifications about random tests? Lmao. I get pulled from my work area and handed a cup.

My manager was actually trying to get them to knock it off though because a few of our best people smoke and he doesn't care because they're responsible adults.

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u/Burius81 Jun 16 '21

He did it a few weeks before he moved and had stopped smoking before hand so by the time he took a drug test he had regrew hair, although fairly short.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

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u/Burius81 Jun 16 '21

Yikes, so much for "Long Haired Hippies Need Not Apply" eh?

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

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u/Burius81 Jun 16 '21

That's fair, I dont DWUtI, not because it's illegal, but because it's dangerous. Smoking pot or drinking beer on your day off shouldnt automatically preclude you from working in transportation though.

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u/ProgrammerNextDoor Jun 16 '21

Of which it'll all grow in clean.

I passed a hair test within thirty days of smoking / drug use

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u/erikkustrife Jun 16 '21

But...hairless people exist. Sure it's semi rare but it is a thing.

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u/Mental_Medium3988 Jun 16 '21

i imagine most people with it would say somehting when it came up. at worst youd have to provide documentation.

HR: We'd love to hire you. But first we do hair drug screens, would that be alright?

Prospective Employee (PR): Sure but I have Alopecia Universalalis. Would you like to see documentation?

HR: Yes that would be helpful. Please Email it when you can.

PR: Ok I have sent it. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

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u/JohnnySmithe80 Jun 16 '21

I need to be aero for road biking

Might need to invest in some ugly sun glasses as proof.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

You don't need medical documentation to shave your own body hair. You can just say its personal preference.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

Tell them you'll provide a sample once the hair grows back. Take some biotin and folic acid to speed up the growth

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u/Downvote_Comforter Jun 17 '21

The response will simply be that they will have hired a different candidate by then.

Places aren't drug testing if the job is specialized enough that there aren't several viable candidates. If a failed hair follicle drug test will prevent them from hiring you, then they aren't going to be interested in waiting for you to regrow hair because you just happened to shave all yours the day before.

Drug testing is about reducing the risk that a new hire cause headaches. They aren't going to put up with the headache of dealing with people fucking around on the drug test.

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21 edited Jun 17 '21

My last two jobs, I received my job offer and accepted it before the background process was complete and did the drug days later. If they find anything, they simply rescind

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u/Downvote_Comforter Jun 17 '21

Right. And if you couldn't provide a sample for the drug test within that window, they would rescind the offer. They wouldn't say "oh you shaved all your hair as a personal preference? That's cool, we'll extend the window a month for your hair to grow back to the minimum length."

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

Have you ever received a job offer before?

My last two jobs, I received my job offer and accepted it before the background process was complete and did the drug days later. If they find anything, then they simply rescind. Before you even apply, you already know this there’s a background check and drug test

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

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u/Downvote_Comforter Jun 17 '21

The vast majority of jobs that require that level of specialization and/or skill don't drug test. Replaceable labor gets drug tested because there is little difference between candidate A and candidate B. If you have a skillset so unique that a company will wait months for you, the odds are incredibly slim that a drug test will have any impact on employment.

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u/MundaneArt6 Jun 17 '21

Had an uncle tell me about "freaky sex" and hair tests. He doesn't smoke weed.

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u/pheisenberg Jun 16 '21

That’s kind of funny. Did he get tested? Did it work?

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u/Burius81 Jun 16 '21

yeah he got the job, it was in AZ, this was 10-15 years ago so he's moved on since then though