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What Are The Chances Of Detecting Marijuana Through Hair Follicle Test After Quitting It?

Posted on Wed, 16 Jul 2014

Question: How likely am I to pass a hair follicle test, I have to take one about mid next month for a job and it is through quest labs. I quit smoking marijuana and concentrates back on April 8th and 20 days later shaved my head down to a zero. From what I have read that once it is out of your blood it stops nourishing your hair follicles. Also saw that the test only goes back about 3 months or so. And also that the hair test is not sensitive to detecting marijuana or its metabolites, but cocaine and meth are the ones that get trapped in deeply. My hair has already grown back and inch or so since I cut. Should the new growth be clean maybe?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
You are very likely to pass

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thanks for using health care magic.

Hair follicle test is used for chronic use of drugs and since you are not using for last two months as per history and urine test, there is high possibility that you will be tested negative with this test.
Normally they take about 1 inch of recent hair so in your case it will be taken the hair growth that will be occurring mid of this month to mid July. During this time there is no drug metabolite in your body and it is very likely that it will be incorporated in hair follicle.

You are right in saying that it is not a sensitive test but currently practiced two stage process of testing takes care of this shortcoming. You might be aware that laboratory runs two tests first to know whether some drug of abuse present and than what is present.

'Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help".
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (2 hours later)

Up until April 8th I was a chronic user of marijuana maybe like 2-3 times per day for a year. When I shaved my head it was about 4 inches long or so, so would the new growth be clean most likely?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Yes it will be

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for reverting back to me.

Frankly the laboratories who conduct hair follicle test use the proximal (Recently grown) one to one and half inch of hair assuming that it represents the hair growth in last 90 days. Since your current hair was grown after you stopped taking cannabis there will be no trace of it will be found in the test. It does not matter what was the growth of hair when you quit the cannabis.

So it is likely that you will come clean on hair follicle test.

Thanks and Regards
Dr Ashok

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (46 hours later)

The hair test is through quest labs. Its going to be conducted about July 24th or so. So I guess that is more then enough time then for my hair to be clean right. Do you have to wait to be completely clean before the 90 days starts or the day you stop smoking? Like I said I stopped smoking back on like April 8th or so and shaved my hair off with a zero about 20 days later, not completely bald. Do they conduct hair tests to catch like the cocaine and meth abusers? This is a great paying job with a fortune 500 oil company. Never had to go through a hair test before. How does it exactly come out of the follicles so it is out of it? Does it move up the hair and stay there until one cuts it off? So by the time I do this test I should have about 106 days of not smoking.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ashok Kumar Choudhary (34 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
This is more than adequate time to come clean

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for reverting back to me.

Your guess is perfectly fine and you likely to come clean after going drug free for more than 100 days. It is approximately ninety days but it varies as per your consumption of cannabis. In light users it may take few less days.

Yes the quest lab conduct test for meth and cocaine abusers. Same sample of hair will be used for detection if asked by your employer. because hair grow from inside the most distal part is older than other part. So they collect proximal 1 and half inch of hair for testing.

'Hope I have answered your query. "If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish you good health".
Thanks

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad