Can you fail a drug test from second hand smoke?

Is it possible to test positive without ever doing drugs?

If you are employed in a company which is known for its random drug testing procedures, then you should be responsible and not smoke any pot at all. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug which is easily available and also, easily identifiable in almost every test. In fact, the drug tends to stay in your body for several weeks after you have smoked it and can be detected easily. 

The most commonly conducted test, urinalysis or urine drug test, offers 99 per cent accuracy for marijuana use even after 4 weeks of use. This is why it is important that you don't smoke weed if you want to continue working in the current place of job.However, it is not necessary for people to get worried about a drug test simply because they smoke weed. Some people who don't use cannabis can also fail the test because of being exposed to lots of smoke. This might seem implausible and a joke to many but there have been cases of people failing tests because of second hand smoke. 

The most recent and famous case was that of NFL player, Josh Gordon, who was disqualified because the drug levels in his system were 16 nanograms per milliliter while the threshold is 15 nanogram per milliliter. He said it was due to being exposed to second hand smoke of those smoking around him but what he said doesn't seem to have affected the authorities and their decision. So, if you ask the question 'Can you fail a drug test from second hand smoke?', the answer would be yes, that it is possible but not a phenomenon which is observed often.

Many people report getting high from just staying around those who smoke pot and if passive smoke does get you high, it will definitely show up in your urine test results as well. But, for second hand smoke to actually add to the amount of THC metabolites in your urine stream to a level that you fail an industrial urine drug test, you need to be exposed to really high amounts of it in highly unventilated spaces. Ventilation will prevent the passive smoke to enter your system and make room for more fresh air instead.

So, if someone around you like a close friend or relative smokes pot a lot and you are worried that their use of the substance can ruin your career, there are two things you can do. Either you can make sure that the room you are in with that person is always well ventilated and the person knows about the strict drug policies of your company (and respects this) so they start smoking less when you are around. If this does not work in your favor, you need to draw yourself away from those who smoke weed to protet your job. You can fail a drug test from second hand smoke!