Pot-smokers, beware: You may want to avoid dieting before that next company drug test. New research shows that even if a person hasn’t smoked marijuana in months, he or she could still test positive for the drug after dieting or beginning a heavy exercise ritual.
In a recent study using rats, Australian scientists found that extreme stress or major dieting can result in a positive drug test, even if the tester hasn’t smoked pot in weeks.
Fat cells love the psychoactive ingredient, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), found in pot, and they absorb it—and hold onto it—extremely well. Even long after a person stops smoking up, his body undergoes changes as a result of exercising or shedding pounds, and these changes can cause THC to be released into the blood stream once those fat cells start to break down. New Scientist reports:
Jonathon Arnold and colleague Iain McGregor first exposed THC-laden fat cells taken from rats to the stress hormone ACTH. They found that the hormone increased the speed of release of THC from the cells.
Then they injected rats with 10 milligrams per kilogram of THC (equivalent to a person smoking between five and 10 cannabis cigarettes, depending on their strength) every day for 10 days. Two days later, they injected a third of the rats with ACTH, deprived another third of food for 24 hours, with the rest as controls.
Blood tests showed that the rats who where on diets had twice as much THC in their systems—though the effects only lasted for two days. The scientists will have to test out their theory over a longer time scale, but the true test will be whether humans show identical effects. And it can’t come too soon: In this economy, you don’t want anything to get in the way of your employment.
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Image: flickr/ BodhiSativa Photography
August 10th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Those rats need to watch Reefer Madness. That should discourage any future drug use. Shame on you scientists for pressuring them into pot use.
August 10th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
This story made me think of a recent episode.
Local businesses have really emphasized drug testing of their employees. The drug testing companies then got a windfall business opportunity and proceded to advertise their services heavily, usually pointing out how fast and convenient they were.
Anyhow, one of these businesses, after a couple of years of advertising the conventional aspects of their market, got a brainwave:
Are you a new/prospective employee? Need to take a drug test? Not sure if you can pass (they said it a bit more diplomatically)? Take a pre-test and find out before your employer does!
I know I wasn’t impressed.
August 12th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Who can smoke 10 joints a day and is still go to work?
August 12th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
lol 5-10 joints a day is equivalent to about an eighth a day, 3.5 grams. #3 got it right, who can possibly smoke an 8th a day and work?
August 12th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Drug tests that are not invasive (meaning someone isn’t looking at your junk while you piss) can easily be fooled by simply submitting synthetic urine at the appropriate temperature.
Look on ebay for “Rockstar Piss”
It comes with a heat pack and thermometer for your convenience.
I know people that have used it with great success.
The issue is irrelevant unless you have a parole officer eying your package. I feel sorry for those folks. Be more careful next time.
September 24th, 2009 at 7:20 am
dieting…
Your topic Getting Fit for Nights out | eParty.info – Party Guide was interesting when I found it on Thursday searching for dieting…
January 11th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Well I’ve just given up trying to cheat on drug tests. I now smoke this cannabinoid:
http://www.herbavigor.com/html/cannibinoids.html
It gets me just as high as killer weed and I never get in trouble when there is a drug tests. I have passed probation drug tests for two years now.