Employers who want to screen their employees or potential employees for possible drug abuse have various options available to do so. This includes testing the Urine, blood and even hair for traces of Marijuana or its metabolite THC. Technology has made these tests more reliable over the years with hair follicle drug tests being touted among the most difficult to beat.
While the best hair follicle detox shampoo might give you a chance against the tests, some experts believe the chances of beating a hair follicle test for drugs are limited. The tests are also controversial too with a divided opinion about their reliability.
How do hair follicle drug tests work?
It might not look like it on the surface, but your hair actually gets a supply of blood regularly through the root of the hair follicle. It needs this blood to grow, but this can be an issue too especially if you use drugs.
Traces of drugs are carried in the blood and they may become deposited in the hair shaft through the hair follicle as the blood circulates through. This could be in form of Marijuana itself or the metabolite THC. This way your hair can act as a store of your record of drug use pretty much the same way the rings of a tree serves as a record of the change in seasons.
What happens during a test
There are various ways testers can determine drug use in subjects. Typically, employees go for urine tests since it is the most popular method. But in certain cases, other forms of tests can be used as well either as a standalone test or together with other tests.
In case of a hair follicle test, a sample of hair will be taken from you. This is usually cut from the top of your scalp or at the back. A length of hair measuring about 1.5 inches is taken close to the skin line and put in a sealed container. Since human hair grows about 1-2 inches in 90 days, the sample taken will typically provide a record of drug use within a 30 to 90-days period.
You will most likely get a result of the lab analysis in 3 days or less. This method of testing is favored among testers because it is believed to be able to detect drug use over a longer period than other methods of testing. The tests evaluate the level of THC within the hair shaft. And the use of regular bleaches or shampoos has no effect on the result.
Learn more about how THC gets into your hair and how long it stays here.
The controversy
Despite its presumed efficiency, Hair follicle testing for drugs is still a controversial issue. It is still widely used to test for THC and marijuana but many experts think the test isn’t as reliable as many people think it is. While these tests can detect traces of THC passed into the hair through the bloodstream. There is a possibility of THC getting into the air via physical contact too and this can be an issue.
This means if you spend a lot of time around a marijuana smoker or someone who handles marijuana within 90 days of your test, you could still test positive even though you are not a smoker.
In one study conducted at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Freiburg, Germany, researchers exposed test subjects to 50 mg of THCA-A (a compound which breaks down to THC) every day for a month. At the end of the research, traces of THC-COOH was discovered in hair and sweat samples collected from participants. Thus the researchers concluded that it is possible for non-users to test positive to hair follicle test if they have continuous contact with a user either directly or via exhaled smoke.
However, a more recent study confirms the effectiveness of hair follicle tests in detecting cannabis consumption especially in users that abuse the substance heavily. Thus, it can be concluded that while hair follicle analysis may be unreliable for detecting marijuana consumption in light users it is still a very effective method for detecting consumption in heavy users.
Visit https://medium.com/@roobbthorsten/how-to-pass-a-hair-follicle-test-for-coke-6aed8f3b1f44 to learn more about passing a hair follicle test.
Conclusion
Hair Follicle Drug test for THC and Marijuana has a longer detection window which makes it more difficult to pass for those thinking of beating it. Although it is a slightly controversial test, it has been found to be quite effective for those who use Marijuana regularly.
