
            DEALING WITH URINE TESTS ON SHORT NOTICE
                              by
                       Dale Gieringer
                      California NORML

          While we strongly oppose drug use on the job, we think no
one should be forced to submit to urine testing, especially for
marijuana.  Aside from launching a legal challenge, your best defense
against urine testing is to be clean.  Unfortunately, this may be
difficult since urine tests can detect marijuana 3 - 10 days after
a single use, and 4 - 6 weeks or more for heavy chronic users.  If
you are in the job market, it is prudent to expect to be tested and
avoid marijuana.  However, recognizing that many of you face drug
testing on short notice, we offer the following advice for emergencies
with our best wishes (but no promises!).

          WASH YOURSELF OUT:  The general strategy for passing urine
tests is to increase your fluid intake and urine flow so as to dilute
the concentration of THC metabolyte in your urine below the threshold
of detection.  In the days or hours preceding the test, you should wash
yourself out by drinking plenty of fluids.  Water is fine -- contrary
to popular rumor, DRINKING VINEGAR DOESN'T HELP.
          You can boost your fluid output by taking diuretics, which
stimulate urination.  The most potent diuretics are prescription drugs,
widely used for high blood pressure.  Weak diuretics of dubious
efficacy are found in certain over-the-counter products, such as
premenstrual pills for water retention.  Contrary to rumor,
PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE, THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN DEXATRIM, IS NOT A DIURETIC
AND IS LIKELY TO MAKE YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR AMPHETAMINES.  Other weak
diuretics include coffee, cranberry juice, beer, and other health food
products.  While some people take diuretics for several days to flush
themselves out, they are probably most useful in the hours leading up to
the test when you want to produce plenty of urine.  Beware that diuretics
can be dangerous to certain persons, such as diabetics, pregnant women,
and people suffering from kidney dysfunctions, and can lead to potassium
deficiencies if taken over extended periods.

          THE NIGHT BEFORE the test, drink lots of liquid -- as much as
you can stand.  Be sure to empty your bladder the next morning, since
urine that accumulates overnight tends to be "dirty."  Prepare for the
test by loading up again on lots of fluid.  Boost this with a diuretic
if possible.
          If you're taking the test on short notice without time to wash
out beforehand, the following method has been suggested by a former army
drug testing officer (Robert Freeman, "How to Beat a Drug Test," __High
Times__, August, 1988).  Take an 80-milligram dose of the prescription
diuretic Lasix (furosemide); take a hefty drink of water; piss two or
three times; then take the test.  (Again, the caution above regarding
the dangers of diuretics to some individuals applies.)
          One slight hitch with urine dilution is that some labs are
suspicious of the clear, watery urine it produces.  You can fix this
by taking 50 or 100 milligrams of vitamin b-2 (available in B-complex
multivitamins) which will color your urine yellow for a couple of hours.
Contrary to popular rumor, vitamin C doesn't help.
          If you are lucky and didn't smoke too much pot, a good washout
may get you past a test on a weekend notice.

          DRUG SCREENS:  You may be able to improve your odds with a couple
of new, experimental techniques that have been alleged to temporarily
mask traces of marijuana and other commonly tested drugs.  Please beware
that these methods have not been tested in controlled scientific studies,
only in informal freelance investigations, and while encouraging news
has been reported, such stories are notoriously unreliable.

          ZINC SULFATE:  It has been suggested that drug use can be
masked by the mineral supplement zinc sulfate.  The idea is that zinc
attaches to drug molecules through a process known as chelation,
screening them from urine and diverting them to feces.  Regular smokers
have reported passing urine tests within 48 - 72 hours of last smoking
after washing themselves out and taking zinc sulfate.  Zinc sulfate
should be taken while loading up on liquids in the hours before the
test.  Avoid taking too many solids.  Investigators have used dosages
of 250 milligrams of zinc sulfate two times before the test, once the
night before and the second a couple of hours before the test.
BEWARE, DOSES ABOVE THIS LEVEL CAN CAUSE A TOXIC REACTION, AND CHRONIC,
PROLONGED USE MAY CAUSE COPPER DEFICIENCIES AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS.
Zinc sulfate is available in tablets from pharmacists or in a more
expensive solution known as Zinc Challenge, sold in health food stores.

          DRUG FREE:  Customers have reported success with a mysterious
product known as Test Free, which guarantees to clear any drug testing
or money back.  Regular pot users have reported passing within hours of
last smoking, although the manufacturer, ZYDOT UNLIMITED INC., recommends
abstaining for a day or two beforehand.  Unfortunately, Zydot has been
highly secretive about the contents of its product, other than to say
that the FDA has approved its ingredients as "generally recognized as
safe."  Test Free requires at least an hour or two advance preparation,
including drinking lots of liquids, and is guaranteed to mask all drugs
for at least four hours.

          In addition, other products have begun to appear on the
market, including Naturally Clean from HOUSTON ENTERPRISES, making the
same claims as Test Free.  It is possible that they contain the same
ingredient, however we have no way to tell at this time.

          NORML has no financial interest in either company.  For more
information on these products, simply contact the suppliers at:
          Zydot Unlimited Inc., Box 9485, Tulsa, Ok 74157 (918)747-2400;
          Houston Enterprises, PO Box 27776, Tempe, AZ 85285 (602)968-0773.

          TAMPERING:  The preceding methods are all something of an
ordeal and thus mainly useful in emergencies.  Another tack used by some
people is to tamper with the sample.  Ethical issues aside, tampering can
be highly risky, especially as uringation is being observed.  For the
adventurous, Abbie Hoffman's book __Steal This Urine Test__ has full
instructions on how to rig yourself up with a plastic bag to substitute
clean urine.

          Another, less cumbersome trick to foil the test is spiking the
sample.  THIS ONLY WORKS ON THE STANDARD EMIT TEST, the most commonly
used pre-employment screen, and is not always successful.  It does not
work for the Radio-Immune Assay (RIA) used by the armed services, nor the
Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS).  Scientific studies have
found that certain substances interfere with the EMIT test and make it
appear negative.  Six to 10 drops of bleach, detergent, or blood, or
a few bleach or Drano crystals concealed under the fingernails are said
to do the trick.  However, anyone trying this should practice beforehand
and beware that personnel may inspect samples for smell, color, clarity,
temperature and content.

This text is taken from a brochure available from NORML.  For more
information, contact NORML, 1636 `R' St. N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington,
D.C. 20009  (202) 483-5500.

