Can You Pass an Oral Drug Test This Week?

Marijuana Oral Drug

Drug testing has been a thing forever, whether to check the existence of illicit drugs, alcohol or any other restricted substance like performance enhancing drugs in a person’s system. These have been a way to screen potential employees before recruiting them, or while selecting athletes for championships. 

While the tests still exist, one of the drugs previously categorized as an illicit drug has not been federally legalized. Well, kind of. 

Yup, we’re talking about cannabis. Whether you buy it with a medical marijuana card NY or recreationally with your state ID, you’re no longer committing a punishable offense. 

However, even with the legalization of hemp sourced cannabis, multiple companies still rely on drug screening for THC to accept or reject applicants. 

While states like New York and Nevada have laws protecting the consumption and employment rights of the people, others states have no such provisions. The laws limit a company’s right to reject an applicant simply for THC traces in their drug tests. On the contrary, states like California have no laws to protect these rights of the citizens. 

In states like CA, your cannabis consumption can cost you your dream job. And you obviously don’t want that. 

So if you have a drug test coming up, now might be a good time to put a hold on your consumption.  

Different Ways to Detect Marijuana During a Drug Test

With a variety of drug tests available, some could look for THC traces in your urine, another in the fluids found in your mouth or getting a sample of your hair. Depending on the type of test conducted, your test may or may not come out as positive. 

Hair Drug Test: With the longest window, these can show traces of upto 90 days

Urine Test: If you’ve consumed THC in the last 30 days, it might show up in the urinalysis

Blood Tests: These can show traces of upto a few weeks (3)

Oral Tests: These are best to find traces of immediate consumption (in the last 24 hours)

Your best gamble is to hope for an oral test. Both these tests only show traces of recent consumption unlike other tests. 

It is also important to remember that in these evaluations you are being tested for the presence of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and not any other cannabinoid. THC is responsible for the psychoactive effects, in other words, the high that comes with cannabis consumption. If you’ve consumed a cannabis product with no THC in it, such as a broad spectrum or isolated CBD product, you’re safe. 

As per the 2018 Farm Bill, all legally sold recreational hemp should have 0.3% THC or less, which may or may not show up on the drug test. Cannabis bought with a medical marijuana card NY can have much higher THC potency which is sure to show up on the test if you don’t take precautions.

How Long Can THC be Detected in the Mouth?

Let me explain how THC works. 

As long as THC is in the mouth it is still in its original form. However, when THC reaches the liver, it gets broken down into metabolites (THC-COOH). This metabolite gets stored in fatty tissue across the whole body, being removed from the body especially slowly. 

Most of these tests, therefore, look for the metabolite in the body which becomes easily detectable. 

But not oral tests. These are meant to find THC traces in the saliva, leaving a rather shorter window of detection. So if you smoked some high THC last week, you should be able to get away with a mouth swab. 

Unlike the metabolite that can be detected even a month after consumption, the THC traces in the mouth most often last between 24 hours (the usual) to 72 hours (with an advanced saliva test). This does not apply for chronic marijuana users. 

The duration of detectability depends on,

  • The THC potency of the product– Higher the THC content, the longer it’ll take
  • How often you consume it– More often the consumption, longer it’ll take to leave the body
  • How much you’re consuming– With more quantities consumed, more will have to be released
  • How much fat you have– More fatty tissues mean more space for THC storage
  • If you’ve consumed other products– If you’ve got other toxins to release, it’ll take longer

What are Some Things You Can Do to Pass a Saliva Test?

Honestly, you’ll be lucky to get a saliva test as the traces only last for so long. At the same time you can use some basic tricks to reduce the probability of showing up to the test with traces of THC in your mouth. 

Brush Your Teeth Multiple Times

Brushing your teeth a bunch of times can be a really neat trick to follow. Imagine you’re going to a dentist and get going.  Not just your teeth but be sure to clean your tongue and any part that could have traces of THC. Pay special attention to your gums. Make good use of floss to ensure there are no food particles stuck between your gaps.

Follow it up with good amounts of fluids to ensure no traces of THC remain. 

Over the Counter Mouthwash

It’s recommended that you follow up your brushing regime with some mouthwash. You’ll find a variety of over the counter mouthwashes or other special kits that you can find for this purpose. 

Consume Fatty Food

Food high in fats is known to increase cannabis’ bioavailability in the body. In other words, when you consume fatty food, it speeds up the THC absorption. This means that if you’re surprised with a urinalysis, you’re doomed. But with a saliva test, you should be good to go. 

Final Verdict

Consuming medical marijuana New York is guided by state laws which do not allow companies to reject applicants for traces of marijuana in their system. However, there are still some restrictions as to how much THC is acceptable in the system, especially for non-mmj users. 

Also the presence of traces might not be enough to shun your application but it can lead to biases or judgement at the workplace. It is therefore advisable to limit your consumption leading up to the D(rug test) day. 

A week’s time is enough to get rid of all THC traces from your mouth for a cotton swab test. While 24 hours might also be enough, you are recommended to stop all marijuana use the week leading up to your drug test. If you’re simply trying to take a tolerance break or are abstaining from cannabis, you’ve got plenty of time to get the hang of it.

Synthetic Marijuana: Another Name for Poison

Synthetic Marijuana

Synthetic marijuana has been, for the longest time, a dreaded ‘alternative’ of naturally occurring marijuana. Unlike other cannabinoids that are extracted from marijuana or hemp sources, these ones were once synthesized for the sole purpose of research. 

However, the widespread distribution of these toxic alternatives across different channels and amongst the citizens of NY has necessitated the use of marijuana products you can access with a New York medical card

While you can get these toxins from any shady vendors and drug dealers, medical cannabis can only be obtained from a licensed dispensary, making it legal and safe. 

But before we get into why you should choose medical cannabis over synthetic, let us learn a little more about synthetic marijuana. Why it is feared, its side effects and why we should move to better, cleaner and naturally occurring alternatives. 

What is synthetic marijuana?

As the name states, these cannabinoids have been synthesized in laboratories rather than being sourced out from natural hemp or marijuana sources. 

These are often a combination of naturally grown plants that are sprayed with chemicals that imitate the effects of THC, but at a much greater potency. These chemicals lead to extreme psychosis in humans due to how potent they are. 

These illicit drugs have a bunch of street names: K2, Spice, Smacked, AK-47, Ninja, Wicked, Skunk, Atomic, XXX Ultra and many more. 

Why were these synthesized? For research. 

John W. Huffman was the scientist who first started synthesizing cannabinoids to learn about the endocannabinoid system in humans in 1984. He worked to create terahydrocannobidol (THC) like cannabinoids- in other words, components capable of creating a psychoactive effect. 

However, the publication of all that he researched and concluded was made available to the public which has led to the present hijacking of basic research. 

At present, these synthesized cannabinoids can very easily be found circulating the market, being smuggled around and sold to college graduates. This blind circulation makes the drug even more dangerous than it already was.

The major issue lies here:

  • These synthetic cannabinoids are falsely labelled as legal and natural when being sold to ignorant customers, often marketed as incense, potpourri or herbal mixtures
  • A majority of these cannabinoids are actually controlled substances (either illegal on a federal level or banned by different states)
  • There aren’t any limit to these cannabinoids, these seem to be multiplying every year
  • The cannabinoids have unregulated psychoactive effects that can lead to major impairing symptoms and eventual death
  • Not a lot is clearly known about their effects, especially in the long run, due to their unregulated character
  • These are highly intoxicating and addictive, and can lead to very serious withdrawal syndrome symptoms
  • Use of the drugs at an early stage can be a leading cause of mental health issues and psychiatric disorders in adults
  • Unlike naturally occurring marijuana which is difficult to overdose on, synthetic marijuana overdoses can lead you to the emergency room or poison
  • These cannabinoids can be upto 100 times (or more) more potent than marijuana, leading to psychoactive effects that are beyond our control
  • These cannabinoids are created to learn their effects on human receptors. It’s purpose is to fully activate the CB receptors, while THC does it only partially
  • Some symptoms of synthetic cannabinoid use are agitation, hallucination, paranoia, tremor, seizure, vomiting, chest pain, cardiac arrests, tachycardia, hypokalemia, kidney damage, psychosis, brain damage and even death
  • Bruising and random bleeding are common reasons for emergency calls after the consumption of these cannabinoids.

Alternative to Synthetic Marijuana: Choose Your High Wisely

Synthetic cannabinoids are NOT meant for your consumption and should strictly be restricted to their academic purpose. Rather, you can always opt for a safely sourced marijuana strain that has been extracted for consumption. 

A majority of states have legalized the use of cannabis to varying degrees, allowing citizens to consume high quality and safe products. New York, for one, has legalized both medical and recreational (quite recently) use of the herb. This legal availability of the herb should end the consumption of any synthetic cannabinoid. 

But out of the two, which one should you opt for? 

Medical marijuana is definitely the better option. If you qualify for the medical conditions stated by your state authorities, you can apply for a medical marijuana new york card, that’ll allow you to possess, consume, travel with (inside state borders) and grow your stash without any legal loopholes. 

With a medical marijuana card, you get high quality, high potency products that won’t cause an unregulated high as synthesized marijuana does. These strong doses do not lead to similar levels of addiction nor are they responsible for all the side effects associated with synthetic cannabinoids. 

Any cannabis product can lead to some level of nausea, insomnia or anxiety if not consumed in regulated doses, or when a high dose is administered at an early stage. However, you aren’t prone to bruising, bleeding, strokes, seizures, or brain damage with marijuana use. 

Disclaimer: Some states like Oklahoma, don’t even have a set list of state approved medical conditions that qualify for the use of cannabis. In these situations, you can directly consult your physician to get a medical card. 

To apply for a New York medical card, you must qualify for the following medical conditions:

  • Cancer
  • HIV/ AIDS
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Chronic Pain
  • Severe Debilitating or Life Threatening Condition
  • Cachexia or Wasting Syndrome
  • Severe and Chronic Pain
  • Severe Nausea
  • Seizures
  • Persistent Muscle Spasms
  • Opioid Use Disorder 

Even if your condition doesn’t qualify for medical marijuana recommendations, you can still use cannabis recreationally. While this limits the consumption to less variety of products and lower potency, these are safer options as opposed to unregulated synthetic substitutes. 

To ensure the the product you’re buying is of high quality, you should only buy cannabis products (CBD oils, edibles or flower with less than 0.3% THC) from licensed vendors. To verify if a retailer is legit, you can check the product specifications, read through the labels and ingredient list, and closely evaluate the certificate of analysis (COA). The absence of a COA should be the first red flag, and the only one you need. 

Conclusion

Synthetic Marijuana is a highly intoxicating drug that leads to more negative effects than positive. With most of these cannabinoids being federally illegal, their consumption should be avoided at all costs. 

Does Medical Marijuana Help With Back Pain

Back Pain

As per reliable reports, Low Back Pain (LBP) is the second most common cause of disability in US adults and around 149 million days are lost each year due to extreme cases of it. Back pain is without a doubt one of the foremost reasons for people to skip work and visit the doctors. This also makes it quite a costly health condition with total loss costs coming around
100 to 200 billion dollars annually, mainly due to decreased wages and reduced productivity.

Medical marijuana became the ultimate solution for this problem and many countries supported this intervention. The doctors played a major role in guiding such movements from Medical marijuana New York doctors to health professionals in other states, it was a joint effort which led to the popularization of naturally derived cannabinoid solutions for intense back pains. It became an alternative form of treatment for back pain as opposed to the allopathic treatment and provided a significantly cheaper option. The naturally occurring cannabinoids were non-addictive for the user and also gave few to no side effects at all. This led to a revolution of cannabis usage, where patients are now openly embracing the use of it and getting the benefits.

In regards to the pain relieving quality of MMJ in cases of back pain, let us closely read through every aspect that makes it a good option for people.

How Is Medical Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Back Pain?

As conventional medicines give the users many side effects ranging from nausea and upset stomach to ulcers and gastric bleeding, an obvious need to come up with a better alternative solution to treat back pain without experiencing side effects was realized. Medical marijuana due to its stunning pain relieving possibilities thus became the one option people turned to. But is it effective in treating back pain and if it is, how exactly? Yes, MMJ is the perfect solution for people for treating their back pains and mainly due to the following reasons.

  • It makes the pain bearable by reducing the intensity of pain.
  • While helping with the intensity of the pain, it allows you to be free from potentially dangerous and addictive allopathic medications.
  • Depression, anxiety, and other mentally exhausting problems that arise from severe back pain can also be solved by the consumption of medical marijuana.
  • It overall increases the quality of life and promotes a healthier life as it uses only plant derived compounds with absolutely no chemicals in it.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain and How Does Medical Marijuana Help Treat Them?

Being a strong and effective treatment for chronic joint pain, cannabis or medical marijuana is an established way of relieving pain and helps with reducing many symptoms of lower back pain, let’s see how.

Pain and Muscle Spasms

Many valid studies have promised that the consumption or application of medical marijuana can calm down muscle spasms. Pain and muscular spasms are the most obvious symptoms of back pain and have to be consoled well to help the patient in getting rid of their intense back pain episodes.

Nausea and Vomiting

Medical marijuana also helps the patients in getting rid of the nausea and vomiting that the traditional medicines like opioids caused for the patient. It also induces sleep and reduces the chances of getting depression.

For instance, a person can consume medical marijuana in New York only when they are suffering from a specific issue from a list of health conditions. In this particular list, severe nausea is one of the health issues which warrants the use of medical marijuana. Any patient looking to get a medical marijuana card to treat their nausea in New York can simply find a legit MMJ doctor near them, hop on a call and get their card within a few minutes.

Inflammation

Marijuana has high anti-inflammatory properties and that is why it is used to treat many issues like arthritis, degenerate issues in the spine etc. Most of the neck pains and back pains are a direct result of degenerate changes in the spine and thus MMJ becomes the perfect solution.

Method of Consuming Medical Marijuana for Back Pain

Medical marijuana can be used in a number of ways depending on the product you’re using to get rid of your back pain.

Inhalation

This is probably the fastest method of consuming marijuana to treat your pains. You smoke or vape your pain away.

Drinking Liquids

Here, the medicine can be incorporated in the diet of the patient. It will reduce the pain without giving any psychoactive effects.

Sublingually Using Tinctures

Another fast method of consumption, tinctures are indeed effective in alleviating pains in the patients of back pain when a few drops are put under the tongue of the patient.

Via Edibles

The pain relieving effect will take a few hours to be felt by the patient depending on the potency of the product and also the problem to be treated. This is advised for all chronic pain patients as they have to regularly consume marijuana.

Externally Applying Topicals

Topical application is when the afflicted area of pain is rubbed with an MMJ gel or cream giving the user the soothing effects via the method of absorption. The desired effect will depend on the application and the duration of use.

Conclusion

Since there is no end to the back pain problems that keep cropping up due to the sedentary lifestyle that people are living, the quest for a permanent solution was very much needed. Especially in the recent years when the cases of severe back pains have skyrocketed, medical marijuana became a blessing in disguise. The shocking revelations of each individual getting affected by back pains at least once in their lifetime called for a new age of medicine where marijuana could be used openly for the treatment of certain problems and it got one. Let’s be a part of this change and promise to always go for natural solutions for our problems.