How Drug Testing Works

If your workplace has strict cannabis-use policies, it might be unclear as to what is allowed (regarding cannabis use) outside of work.

It’s important to have a clear understanding of exactly how your employer might test you for recent drug use, how cannabis testing works, and how to approach CBD products in Canada with a ‘buyer beware’ attitude.

How drug tests work

No matter the type of drug test being performed on someone - saliva, hair, or urine - the lab result can only identify certain parts of certain drugs. Drug test panels usually identify the following drug compounds:

  • THC and THC-COOH
  • Cocaine
  • Morphine
  • Oxycodone
  • Methamphetamines
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Alcohol

Consumer Beware and Be Educated

Most legal CBD products in Canada can have trace amounts of THC. These products are unlikely to produce a positive drug test or euphoric effects, but it isn’t impossible for enough trace amounts to sneak in undetected and flag your employer’s attention on a lab result. This caution should also be used should you decide to purchase from the black market: beware that your product was not likely created by a team of scientists and botanists, and those trace amounts of THC could still show up despite the producer’s best guesstimations.

If drug-testing has you feeling uneasy about CBD, then focus on reading your labels carefully, and be cautious of any trace amounts of THC.