New Policy Requires Drug Testing For Unemployment

New government policies toward drug policy and the social safety net may impact millions of people’s lives, including those seeking unemployment benefits. The government recently announced a crackdown that would require drug testing for men and women applying for unemployment benefits.

Knowing how to be prepared for a drug test and how to pass a drug test will help people get the benefits they’ve earned and to avoid unfair stigmatization.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed legislation that gives states greater latitude to drug test applicants for federal unemployment insurance. In the past, states did not drug test applicants for unemployment benefits because the Social Security Act—the Depression-era law establishing unemployment—didn’t allow states to add qualifying factors unrelated to the “fact or cause” of an individual’s unemployment.

In 2012, a law allowed drug testing of applicants for unemployment benefits if the applicants were fired by their last employer for drug use or were seeking jobs in occupations that regularly test employees for drug use. In the second circumstance, the Department of Labor limited drug testing to occupations requiring the carrying of firearms or transportation-related jobs.

Drug testing for unemployment benefits shouldn’t be allowed—workers have paid tax dollars into the system to secure those benefits, and they should be available to unemployed workers regardless of their use of drugs. Denying benefits hurts applicants’ families and may impede efforts by the applicants to end their drug habit. The new test also creates a gray area for marijuana users, as some states have legalized the drug, although it remains illegal under federal law.

The changes in policy make it imperative for individuals to safeguard the benefits they’ve earned by being ready for a possible drug test. Knowing how to pass a drug test will give workers who are down on their luck the chance to receive the benefits they have earned.

Seven Ways to Defeat a Drug Test

Preparation is key to passing a drug test. The good thing about drug tests for unemployment benefits is that, unlike random drug tests you might undergo at work, you know when the drug test for your benefits will occur. If you’ve not yet applied for unemployment benefits, that gives you even more lead time to prepare.

Know Your Test – The first step in preparing for a drug test is to know the types of drug tests used by authorities to ascertain whether you’ve used drugs. In general, there are three types of drug tests. Here are four of them:

Urine tests – Urine tests are the most common form of drug testing. They’re inexpensive and easy to administer. In urine tests, the subject submits a sample of urine, and a lab tests it to see if drugs are present. Urine tests can detect drug use between one hour and several days prior to the test.
Saliva tests – These tests are the least expensive form of drug testing. The subject submits a saliva sample that can be tested with a field kit or in a lab. Saliva testing can detect drug use immediately after use, but cannot detect use that occurred more than a few days prior to the test.

Blood tests – These tests are fairly rare. In a blood test, blood is drawn from the subject. Blood tests can give accurate results, but their window to detect substances is more limited than that of hair tests and urine tests.
Hair tests – Hair tests can detect drug use from up to three months before the test. Subjects submit a hair sample for testing in a lab, as field testing is not practical. It’s the most expensive form of drug testing, but the most thorough.

Know Your Drugs – Some drugs stay in your system longer than others and are more detectable by drug tests. The following table shows how long drugs are detectable by urine, hair, and blood tests.

Abstinence – If you know a drug test is coming up, abstinence from drugs is a great way to ensure that you pass the test. If you have plenty of leave time before a drug test, and you know the type of test being administered, avoid using any drugs to ensure that a test won’t be able to detect any illicit substances in your system.

Detoxing Naturally – If you have enough lead time, detox naturally by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, eat healthy foods, and drink lots of liquids. Drinking a large amount of liquids will help you to more quickly rid your body of traces of illegal substances.

Use a Detox Product – There are several products on the market that can help your body more quickly purge itself of drugs. Taken over several days, these products will speed up the body’s natural detoxification process. By using a home drug testing kit, you can monitor your progress and see how well the detox product is working to detoxify your body.

Same-Day Cleanse – If you’re in an emergency situation, a detoxification drink may do the trick in purging your system of drugs so that you can pass a drug test. Detoxification drinks have had some success in detoxifying people enough to pass a drug test, but whether it works will likely depend on the type of test given, how frequently you use drugs, and individual physiological characteristics.

How Long Are Drugs Detectable
Drug	Urine	Hair	Blood
Cannabis	7 to 30 days	90 days	14 days
Cocaine	3 to 4 days	90 days	1 to 2 days
Heroin	3 to 4 days	90 days	half a day
LSD	3 to 4 days	3 days	5 hours
MDMA	3 to 4 days	90 days	1 to 2 days
Methamphetamine	3 to 6 days	90 days	up to 3 days
Source: https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/how-long-do-illegal-drugs-stay-in-your-system/

Synthetic Urine and Additives – Products are also on the market that will allow you to substitute fake urine for your urine during a drug test. There are also some relatively new products that will allow you to introduce a chemical additive to the urine sample you provide drug testers that can destroy toxins in your urine or block the test from detecting toxins. Individuals who choose these methods will need to proceed with care to avoid getting caught.

Trump’s Coming War on Marijuana

Prominent members of the current administration have taken a hostile stance to legislation passed in many states legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes or legalizing or decriminalizing it for recreational use. Twenty-nine states have eased restrictions on marijuana to varying degrees, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made prosecuting operators of legal marijuana businesses under federal law a priority.

Sessions has sought funding for enforcement actions, and, although he hasn’t gotten it yet, his continued hostility to marijuana should be a red flag to sellers and consumers of legal pot.

Even in states where marijuana is legal, the business community may not be in step with public policy. Many employers in states where medical or recreational use of marijuana is legal still bar their employees from using marijuana and test employees for drug use. Knowing how to beat a drug test will help these employees maintain their privacy and avoid losing their jobs.

ClearTest helps individuals avoid unfair penalties for recreational or medicinal use of substances deemed illegal by the government by selling products that help them pass drug tests. ClearTest offers many healthy detox solutions that allow its clients to quickly flush their systems of drugs. If you’re concerned about an upcoming drug test, contact ClearTest today to find out what product will help.