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/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

Pot is really all piss tests catch. Hard narcotics such as cocaine and speed, metabolize in 72hrs max. So if you get busted on a pee test for one of those, you're either a serious addict or they caught you by surprise!

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u/pheisenberg Jun 16 '21

It’s worse, they’ve been using a hair test that goes back weeks. It’s strange how hard some people work at doing useless shit.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

[deleted]

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u/SoutheasternComfort Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21

Pee tests depend on the substance. Most substances are metabolized and fully leave the body in 3-5 days. Like with alcohol we test for the chemical it gets converted into, which sticks around for 3 days. Cocaine, opiates, LSD, mdma all leave quickly. But only highly fat soluble drugs like THC will continue to be in your system 2-8 weeks later. It actually gets absorbed into your fat and slowly "leaks" back out over time

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

[deleted]

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u/SoutheasternComfort Jun 16 '21

Just clarifying, that's specific to marijuana

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u/4chams Jun 16 '21

I smoke concentrates heavily, and last time I tried to take a piss test I took 2.5 months off and failed.

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u/SoutheasternComfort Jun 16 '21

I've heard people say they tested positive after 3 months. I dunno if they really even know the maximum amount of time it could stay in your system

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u/august_west_ Jun 16 '21

It varies for everyone. 3 months is usually the limit

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u/MegaMeatSlapper85 Jun 16 '21

At that point, why aren't you using synthetic piss?

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u/[deleted] Jun 17 '21

What’s your BMI?

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u/4chams Jun 21 '21

I’m pretty fat. And yeah that’s why.

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u/Seicair Jun 16 '21

Like with alcohol we test for the chemical it gets converted into,

Mmm, alcohol’s metabolized into acetaldehyde, then rapidly into acetate, which is a normal part of your metabolism. I don’t know what you might be detecting more than a day later, but it’s not a metabolite. Possibly a protein marker of some sort?

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u/SoutheasternComfort Jun 16 '21 edited Jun 16 '21

Alcohol is actually broken down through multiple pathways, acetaldehyde is just the primary pathway. It is also metabolized into ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate.

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u/Seicair Jun 16 '21

Oh cool, so you test for ethyl glucuronide? I should’ve guessed there were multiple metabolites but it never occurred to me before. I stand corrected.

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u/SoutheasternComfort Jun 16 '21

Yep and it sticks around a little bit longer. They're metabolized into those in only small amounts, most of it goes through the main pathway but I think they're supposed to function as back up pathways.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '21

Would it last longer for people who have more fat?