Will Secondhand Cannabis Smoke Blow Your Drug Test?

Maybe you are not a smoker yourself, and that is okay. But, if you attend parties, concerts, gatherings, or even family and friend events, you have more than likely been exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke. The concern that arises with secondhand exposure is how it will affect you, especially if you have a drug test scheduled for a job quickly approaching or if a drug test is ever needed for a medical procedure.

The origination of this concern is the feeling of what is called a “contact high”. When you are near someone smoking weed, if the smoke directly hits you in the face, you could start feeling minimal effects such as a tingling face, fuzzy thoughts, or even becoming drowsy.

Typically, being in the vicinity of someone smoking weed and being exposed to secondhand smoke will not cause you to blow a drug test. However, there are some exceptions to this, as with anything else. Keep reading to learn more.

Will Secondhand Smoke Make You High?

Typically, no. Secondhand smoke in an average scenario will not cause you to be impaired. It may give you a minor sensation with initial inhalation, but that is about the extent of it.

However, in some circumstances, if you are exposed to excessive amounts of secondhand smoke, you could, in fact, get a literal contact high. This is very uncommon and hard to accomplish, even for the willing.

How Much Secondhand Cannabis Smoke Would It Take to Fail a Drug Test?

Researchers have determined that you would need to be in a confined, low ventilation room, continuously inhaling secondhand smoke from about 16 joints before you could inhale enough THC to fail a drug test. THC, when exhaled, is released in such minor amounts that it would take a lot to cause a contact high that would impair motor function or cause you to fail a drug test.

One study in 2010 discovered that after placing a nonsmoker into a well-ventilated room for three hours, it did result in THC showing up in blood and urine samples. However, with this test, the THC levels, even though evident, were still so small the level was not high enough to fail a drug test.

What Are the Health Effects of Secondhand Cannabis Smoke?

Even though failing a drug test and mental impairment from secondhand smoke is slim, you should be aware of other health effects before surrounding yourself in a room of cannabis smokers.

It has been proven that cannabis smoke affects the heart and blood vessels in the same way as secondhand tobacco smoke. It is also known that cannabis smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals, just like tobacco. Being health cautious and aware of your body is crucial if you’re going to smoke cannabis or be around others who do.

Second Hand Cannabis Smoke and Drug Tests – Conclusion

Now that you know breathing in an average amount of cannabis smoke will not cause you to fail a drug test, go ahead and visit your friends. Enjoy the time together!