More on poppyseeds and drug tests

[aaronatthedoublef]

Apparently there is some truth to the Seinfeldian story!

From a colleague in Alabama

Spread the word

      

  

  

[S_Wirth]

My husband drove a school bus for 39 years. About 1990, the CDL drivers' license law applied to all semi drivers, school bus drivers and many more categories of commercial drivers.

All CDL drivers are subject to random drug tests. Many companies have a 'you fail, you are gone' policy.

Many years ago, a semi driver in a western state failed a drug test. He was not on drugs and they asked him many questions. He'd had poppyseed dressing at a salad bar the day before. So the word got out to avoid poppyseed anything or the drug test will detect opiates.

We always avoided me baking poppyseed scones and muffins as we didn't want an issue with it.

When my husband quit driving a school bus he said now I can eat lemon poppyseed muffins and scones in peace.

[Mike Nolan]

On a related matter, in 1958 Congress passed a bill that included the Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1938. It said that something that has been proven to cause cancer cannot be used as a food additive.

The problem with Delaney Clause testing is that testing has gotten much more precise and accurate over the years. In the 1950's labs were able to detect those additives at a rate of perhaps one part in a million. These days they can detect them at a rate of one part in 100 billion, and they're still refining the testing equipment. Not surprisingly, they're finding a lot more of these banned substances, including ones that are naturally produced as a result of the food or cooking process.

I think the same thing is true of drug testing, I've heard that even being in a room where marijuana was recently smoked can lead to testing positive for it.

[RiversideLen]

Yes, I had heard that about marijuana too. It's one of those things that leaves its telltale mark on a person for a long time. Many other drugs, on the other hand, metabolize very fast and do not leave any markers. I had read that many heroin od deaths may go misdiagnosed because of that.

People who have jobs that require drug testing have to be very careful in states that have legalized marijuana use. They could be at a gathering where someone lights up and even though they don't partake, it might leave it's mark on them.

On a related subject, Illinois has recently legalized it, there was a story in the news yesterday of a group of girl scouts who set up their girl scout cookie table outside one of the dispensaries in Chicago, business was booming!

[S_Wirth]

We live in good old Illinois. I'm sure our vehicle insurance bills will follow an upward pricing trend...we just got one yesterday and it was up for no reason on our part. A TV ad says marijuana can remain in the body for 30 days.

I think just Illinois and Michigan have legalized it so far.

[BakerAunt]

Indiana has not.

When Michigan did, there were articles in the South Bend Tribune reminding people not to bring it back. The state border is very close up in South Bend and Mishawaka, with some people commuting daily.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by BakerAunt.

[RiversideLen]

S Wirth, insurance companies tend to give their lowest rates to new customers while raising rates on their loyal customers. It may pay to shop around.

[aaronatthedoublef]

CO, MA, ME, WA, and CA have all legalized it. CO was first for recreational use and CA was first for medicinal. CT is legal for medicinal and I forget what is happening in NH and VT. But New England is so small that if it is legal in any state it is a short drive to where it is legal. There was an article in the Hartford Courant yesterday from manufacturers asking the state NOT to legalize it.

I was just screened for a new job and I am not sure how far back it went or how sensitive it was. When I had friends testing people using hair samples it went back 90 days, was extremely sensitive, and was supposed to be very accurate.

To Mike's point ab out carcinogens, my father-in-law worked in the plastics industry. When the Swedes presented evidence that BPH was dangerous they referenced the fact that they were testing at parts-per-billion. My f-in-l commented that when he was doing measurements he was using a slide rule...

Marijuana states

• This reply was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by aaronatthedoublef.

[Mike Nolan]

I read that Illinois was the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana use, and around 33 states have legalized it in some form. It still remains illegal under federal law, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

An accurate test is probably a lot more expensive than the one that hospital used.

[S_Wirth]

We have a marijuana grow facility in our tiny county. Ataraxia is the name and it has been in operation for a few years. It was one of six, I think, facilities in our state licensed to grow medical grade marijuana. When the state was talking of legalizing it for rec use, Ataraxia said they'd hire 450-500 new employees and add several new greenhouses to keep up with demand. The greenhouses look like row houses in a long string now. Folks who work there say their families tell them they smell like skunk.

It was unbelievable the cash spent the first day and week of sales in our state.

[Mike Nolan]

There was a marijuana grow house (illegal, of course) raided a couple of blocks from us a few years ago. It was rather surprising because this is not a low-cost neighborhood, I guess they figured the neighborhood might supply some camouflage. Wrong!

The house subsequently was sold, and the new owner had to pretty much redo all the drywall, apparently the high humidity they were using ruined all the walls.

One of the Illinois recreational sales facilities is in downtown Evanston, a short walk for Northwestern students. When I went to school there, Evanston was still dry. (The WCTU national headquarters is also in downtown Evanston.)

[chocomouse]

Vermont legalized the possession and growing of cannibis for personal use by adults 21 and over about two years ago. Currently there is a bill in the legislature, that is likely to pass, to allow cannibis to be sold and taxed within the state. A number of towns have or are considering an ordinance to allow or not allow sales within town limits. One of the concerns is over what exactly is impairment and how to accurately measure it.

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