By Miguel Ordoñez Reviewed by: Carles Doménech


Here’s the situation: you’re at a party with a bunch of friends. One of them lights up a joint and starts passing it around. Everyone partakes except you. You’re abstaining in preparation for your pre-employment drug test in two days. But, you end up inhaling most of the smoke in the room. Occupational hazard.

This begins to ring some alarm bells in your head. Your mind starts to go into overdrive. "Is it possible to fail a drug test without smoking?". "Will I end up testing positive for cannabis and not get the job? I didn’t even take a puff!".

For those who love their magic herb, this situation has likely happened one too many times. It’s a predicament that poses a legitimate question: can you fail a drug test from secondhand smoke?

Related story

What is THC?

What Are the Effects of Secondhand Weed Smoke?

As it turns out, it isn’t as completely harmless as one may think. TThis 2016 study[1] on lab rats showed changes in the arterial flow for at least 90 minutes. Here’s the kicker: these symptoms showed up after just one minute of secondhand cannabis smoke exposure.

Then there’s the question of a "secondhand high" or "contact high". Based on the research, it all depends on the situation.

Let’s take this 2015 Johns Hopkins University study[2] as reference. It involved two experiments: the first one had its 12 subjects cramped in a small, unventilated room for an hour. Six of them were smokers, while the other six weren’t.

The smoking group burned through ten “high potency joints” that each contained 11.3% THC (not high potency by current recreational standards). Their non-smoking counterparts eventually began experiencing a more “pleasant” sensation, but also felt less alert and a bit more tired.

 Secondhand Marijuana Smoke: Will It Show on a Drug Test?

The second experiment was instead done in a ventilated room. In this case, the non-smokers didn’t feel the same effects, except for “hunger”. However, the study was done around lunchtime, so that could’ve been a factor.

Researchers eventually concluded that a contact high from secondhand weed smoke is indeed possible. However, smoking needs to be done “under extreme unventilated conditions” to cause minor impairment.

  • Can Marijuana Smoke Be Absorbed Through the Skin or Hair?

Short answer: yes to both. Let’s start with hair absorption, which, based on research, can get tricky. This dissertation [3], for instance, exposed that darker hair holds in more THC than lighter hair. That essentially puts dark and red hair at a disadvantage when it comes to hair follicle drug tests compared to blondes.

The explanation[4] is that dark-haired people have a higher concentration of melanin. Melanin apparently holds onto some drugs at a much higher rate.

Skin absorption is quite expected, given the existence of topical cannabis. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are lipophilic[5] in nature. That means they will dissolve in fats, making it easier for them to penetrate the skin. However, they have a lower bioavailability, especially without absorption enhancers, and will not easily reach the bloodstream.

Can Marijuana Smoke Be Absorbed Through the Skin or Hair?

What Does Research Say About Secondhand Marijuana Smoke?

In a previous section, we discussed the possible physiological and behavioural effects of secondhand marijuana smoke.

Cannabis smoke exposure can affect a person biologically through their specimen samples.

In a 2015 study[6], a total of 26 individuals were called in to participate. Eight were cannabis users with an average of 12 smoking years. They reportedly consumed around 1.5 grams of marijuana per day. On the other end of the spectrum were 18 non-users.

All test subjects were situated in a specifically designed smoking chamber, wearing disposable paper clothing. They were scheduled to participate in three experimental smoking sessions that lasted an hour each. Urine, blood, hair, and oral fluid specimens were later collected, despite this, only the urine samples were analysed.

Two types of cannabis strains were used in the study. One had a lower THC content at 5.3%, and the other had a much higher potency at 11.3%.

The overall results indicated that with “extreme smoke exposure”, trace amounts of THC may show up in a drug test. However, it would have to be at the lowest cutoff levels. The cutoff level determines the concentration of a substance in your specimen samples that signals a positive result.

Will I Fail a Drug Test From Secondhand Marijuana Smoke?

So, does secondhand smoke show up on a drug test?

For the most part, no. Having trace amounts of THC in your system does not necessarily equate to a drug test failure. As we mentioned in the section above, drug tests require certain cutoff levels to determine a positive or negative result. Below, we explain this concept in more detail.

  • Blood and Urine Drug Tests

Unlike urine tests, which test for THC metabolites, blood tests look to detect THC itself, and are typically only conducted in hospital settings. As such, urine testing is the standard, and far more common.

In the US, the cutoff level for THC – specifically THCCOOH - in urine is 50ng/ml[7].  The non-smoker participants in the aforementioned experiment produced levels of around 20ng/ml of THC.

A similar experiment[8] was done in the Netherlands in 2010. Eight volunteers were exposed to three hours of cannabis smoke in a coffeeshop. The highest level of THC found in the participants was at 7.8ng/ml. This figure was way lower than the 25ng/ml limit at the time.

 Secondhand Marijuana Smoke: Will It Show on a Drug Test?
  • Saliva Drug Test

In 2004, a study[9] was done on five active marijuana smokers. All of them were placed in a room and made to smoke cannabis cigarettes with a very low THC content of 1.75%. The participants smoked for the first 20 minutes, but the volunteers lasted in the room for four hours.

Even with that lengthy exposure, the saliva collected from them afterward had THC concentrations ranging from 3.6 to 26.4ng/ml. These figures under those conditions were still way below the current limit of 50ng/ml.

  • Hair Follicle Drug Test

As we mentioned in an earlier section, darker-coloured hair holds in more THC than lighter-coloured hair because of the melanin. But is it enough to cause a drug test failure?

Let’s take this 2015 study involving two experiments. The first one had a lone participant take 50mg of THCA-A daily over a 30-day period. Despite these high levels, the THCA-A found in the individual’s hair analysis was less than 1% by weight.

The second experiment had two participants taking dronabinol, an oral form of THC medication used to treat appetite loss. The two individuals took three 2.5mg capsules per day over a 30-day period.

The result: no THC was detected when their head hair, beard hair, and body hair were all sampled.

 Secondhand Marijuana Smoke: Will It Show on a Drug Test?

What To Do if You’re Worried About Secondhand Marijuana Smoke

We’ve presented to you several studies. The overall verdict is that the likelihood of failing a drug test from passive inhalation of secondhand weed smoke is slim to none, especially under ventilated conditions.

But, if you’re still worried, here are few things you can do:

  • Stay away: If you’re invited to a party and you know full well that there will be cannabis around, just say no.
  • Hydrate: Flush your system with water around 24 to 48 hours before your test. The idea is to dilute those trace amounts of THC in your urine.
  • Take some zinc: Zinc helps reduce the detection of THC in one’s system for the following 12 to 18 hours. You’ll find zinc supplements in your local pharmacy.If you use it, do it following the exact chemist's recommendations.

Hopefully, this article gave you the peace of mind you were looking for!

External Resources:
  1. One Minute of Marijuana Secondhand Smoke Exposure Substantially Impairs Vascular Endothelial Function https://www.ahajournals.org
  2. Non-Smoker Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Practical Aspects of Drug Testing in Human Hair https://www.samhsa.gov
  4. FAA Medical Certification & Drug Testing https://www.leftseat.com
  5. Absorption – A Complete Guide https://www.cannify.us
  6. Non-Smoker Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. Cutoff levels for drugs and drug metabolites https://www.nrc.gov
  8. Concentrations of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-nor-9-carboxytetrahydrocannabinol in blood and urine after passive exposure to Cannabis smoke in a coffee shop https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. Passive cannabis smoke exposure and oral fluid testing https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279846256_Delta9-Tetrahydrocannabinolsaure_A_-_Studien_und_Untersuchungen_zur_Anwendung_als_Cannabis-Konsummarker_in_der_forensischen_Toxikologie
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4595642/
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: