Category: How to pass

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• History of Drug Testing – Part 6

  Posted on January 10th, 2012 How to pass

  Prior to the 1990’s testing for drivers was common, but not necessarily a mandatory thing, and for the most part drivers were only tested for things like alcohol but not necessarily any drug use. Tests were done mainly when accidents occurred to make certain that the drivers had not been under the influence of any substances when the accident happened. But of course, at the beginning of its inception tests were mostly done to see if alcohol was present.

  Saliva tests are the most common ones done by police officers and can detect the most commonly used drugs made easily available on the street (Marijuana, Cocaine, Opiates, Mehtamphetamines, Ecstasy, and most sedatives).

  There are many forms of tests currently out there: urine, saliva, hair, blood, sweat, etc… But the most commonly done tests (urine and saliva) can only detect a recent usage whereas testing hair or sweat can go back much further in a person’s history than normal testing can. But of course the question of cost is usually put into the mix. Companies have to ask whether or not these tests are cost effective. The shorter a time period the test can go back in a person’s history, the cheaper the test is to have done. The more extensive tests like hair and sweat which can give a much longer view of personal drug abuse in someone’s system are for more expensive. Companies have to make decisions in the short term like this regarding their policies to see what is more worth it to them.

• Celery: It’s Not Just For Bloody Mary’s Anymore

  Posted on January 9th, 2012 How to pass

  Celery Seed is an ingredient commonly found in thousands of household recipes.  It has been used for hundreds of years as an herbal medicine to treat a vast array of ailments such as arthritis, water retention, liver problems and flu and cold symptoms. Today, many herbalists use celery seed as a diuretic and also to treat urinary tract infections.

  Celery seed has ingredients in it which are anti-bacterial and this is very helpful in fighting these types of infections. Studies done on animals suggest that celery seed may be helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.  Also, celery seed has been thought to be a useful supplement to prevent liver damage.  These tests are only in their preliminary stage and have not been substantiated in research in humans yet.

  Adding celery seed to soups or gravy is a good way to introduce spice as well as a valuable herb with healing properties to your diet. Celery seed may also be found in capsule form which is usually filled with celery seed oil.  This is a quick and much more efficient delivery system if you don’t like the taste or don’t like to cook with it.

  There are some precautions one must take before using celery seed.  There is a difference between seeds designated for planting and seeds meant for ingestion.  Make sure you choose the right kind because the seeds designated for planting may be treated with fungicide or pesticide and may be harmful if ingested.  Women who are pregnant should avoid using celery seed because they may cause contractions in the uterus.  You should check with your physician or an allergist to see if you may have a reaction to this herb.  Celery seed may also increase sensitivity to light from the sun on the skin so caution must be used there also.

• How would that affect me? Part 2

  Posted on January 6th, 2012 How to pass

  The use of synthetic marijuana is not officially illegal since it is marketed as a potpourri or incense, and used to be sold in bars and at gas stations. Today, more than forty states have banned the chemicals that frequently found in synthetic marijuana which had limited access to the substance to some degree, however, certain smoke shops still keep their good customers happy and keep a small supply “under the counter.” Online sellers also have kept the consumers happy, since a package can be shipped anywhere, especially if nothing illegal is being sold. Most packages warn that the contents are not intended for human consumption in any way.

  The main reason why synthetic marijuana cannot be banned and branded as “illegal” is because its constituents vary from batch to batch. In addition to regular THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), there can be found such elements as Cannabicyclohexanol, HU-210, JWH-018, JWH-073, AM-2201, etc. The potency of some chemicals exceeds the potency of THC by five or a hundred times, making the substance far more powerful than the original THC. No two batches are alike, therefore, it is practically impossible to know what exactly is inside without testing it. Logically, there cannot be any tests for a synthetic drug that varies in its constituents so dramatically.

  However, due to the adverse effects that synthetic marijuana produces the Drug Enforcement Administration put an emergency ban on five chemicals commonly found in the drug. Recently it has been announced that now there is a test that will check for such a substance. Even thought is may be a legal substance, however, the use of it is still frowned upon and now that it can be detected, consideration of a detox product may be a good idea.

• History of Drug Testing – Part 5

  Posted on January 5th, 2012 How to pass

  Despite all the pushing to make drug testing mandatory in the workplace across America it was never actually made clear exactly HOW the implementation of a mandatory drug testing program would help to reduce the demand of drugs, but it is a logical conclusion that can be drawn as an aftereffect of such a program. Though commentators on the program when it was first being introduced did seem to agree that this testing policy threatened the employment of millions of Americans, and at the time (and again with our current economy) the threat of unemployment is almost more than people can stand. People would rather be facing criminal charges than the possibility of unemployment. As a direct result mandatory testing policies have been more of a deterrent for drug use than many people believed possible.

  While the beginning of this program was designed for government employees and those directly in charge of public safety/health it has become a common practice amongst companies where employees would be in charge of heavy machinery as well. Those who are operating sensitive equipment and heavy machinery are in control of a situation that could pose a threat to the safety of many other employees. It only makes sense that the company hiring them would want to ensure on a regular basis that these employees are completely in charge of all of their faculties and will not be creating an unsafe environment. However, in the 1990’s is when even stricter laws about drug testing and testing policies were created and enforced (mainly surrounding those forms of employment where a person would be a driver for public transportation).

• To Vaporize or Smoke: That Is The Question!

  Posted on January 4th, 2012 How to pass

  Pipe or papers? Bong or bowl? Just a few years ago these were the only choices for marijuana smokers to use to consume their vice of choice.  Today there is a new method that is becoming more and more popular: vaporizing your weed.  Utilizing advanced technology, marijuana smokers have become more “high” tech.

  Vaporizing your marijuana is a method by which the cannabis is heated to the point where the psychoactive substances in the marijuana evaporate without combusting into flames.  The temperatures that the vaporizers raise the cannabis to are somewhere in the range of 180 to 200 degrees Celsius or 356 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. This is just below the point of combustion. This is the point that the cannibinoids are released but the tar and other harmful gases are not released. What you are doing is essentially boiling your marijuana.  This method concentrates the cannibinoids in a resin form. This method delivers the cannibinoids to your brain without delivering the harsh burning smoke to your lungs.  There is also very little smell with vaporizing as compared to smoking.

  Some studies actually suggest that more cannibinoids are delivered to the brain because some are destroyed during the combustion process which does not take place with vaporizing. When you smoke your pot you are not just inhaling the marijuana smoke but other toxins that can be hazardous to your lungs and respiratory system.  One of these is the aromatic hydrocarbon which may cause cancer. This is strictly a byproduct of combustion, something that you will not get with vaporizing.  Chronic smokers put themselves at risk for respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema.

• How would that affect me? Part 1

  Posted on January 3rd, 2012 How to pass

  Not every question has an easy answer, and sometimes there is more to it that one can possibly know. A perfect example of one of those type of questions is whether or not the use of synthetic marijuana will allow you to pass a drug test.

  In our time of advanced technology and chemical wonders, synthetic marijuana is quite popular among those people who get tested on a regular basis, or have a chance of getting tested – merely because this drug (as opposed to regular marijuana) is generally cannot be detected on a drug test. The reason it cannot be detected is simply due to the fact that every batch is different from one another – similar to the constituents of “angel dust” it varies depending on the components of it. Generally, Spice is made up from exotic plants that are imported from Asia, common examples would be Bay Bean and Blue Lotus. Once the leaves reach a lab, they then are coated with specialized chemical compounds that mimic the effects of THC (marijuana when it enters your body) thus producing similar effect. One the main differences between the plant and the chemicals – is that the latter are five to a hundred times stronger and more potent. This single fact alone poses a problem of overdosing, getting adverse effects from consuming it, developing an addiction, and so on – the stronger the drug, especially a chemically created one, the stronger the effects and side-effects of it are. There are quite a few cases that produce a colorful illustration to these facts.

  To be continued…

• History of Drug Testing – Part 4

  Posted on January 2nd, 2012 How to pass

  The three biggest recommendations about reducing the demand for drugs – which indirectly led to workplace drug testing as a general rule that quickly became widespread – were that all federal agencies should make drug testing mandatory for any and all government employees, no matter what level they would be working at, or how sensitive the information they would have access to. In addition to this it was pointed out that no government contracts should or would be awarded to any company that did not have a complete and thorough drug policy in place and have all employees of these companies tested regularly.

  A strong suggestion was made that anyone working in education should also be tested on a regular basis and made to pass a mandatory test at regular intervals to prevent the use of drugs in and around the workplace where children could potentially be exposed. Beyond that it was pushed that a policy not only needed to be in place but implemented with very strict guidelines stated clearly for any and all employees so there would be no question as to what the potential consequences of their actions would be.

  The final part was the hint that any current government agencies or contractors that already had contracts and were working, but didn’t have policies in place and ready to go should be let go at the expiration of the contracts. Unless the company conformed to those guidelines they would not be given the opportunity to renew their contracts with the government.

• Healing Herbs: Catnip

  Posted on December 30th, 2011 How to pass

  Did you ever notice how cats go berserk when they are around catnip?  Well, catnip isn’t just used to make your cats crazy.  It actually has many beneficial uses for humans as well.  Also known as catmint, catswort and fieldbalm, catnip is a wild perennial herb found throughout Europe and North America.  Catnip is a member of the mint family and is a grayish green plant with heart-shaped leaves that grows to about two to three feet tall and blooms between June and September.

  Catnip has long been used in alternative medicine treatments for digestive system disorders and to help reduce fevers as it promotes sweating when ingested. When made into a mild tea, catnip is used to help alleviate symptoms of colic in babies and to reduce restlessness and nervous conditions in children.  When the catnip tea is brewed stronger, it reduces fever and calms the stomach to prevent diarrhea and nausea in children. It is also used as relief for babies that are teething and to help reduce mucus build up.

  When catnip is applied externally, the oils are good for clearing up certain skin conditions like acne. The oil in catnip has a strong smell and is often used in aroma therapy.  It is an excellent insect repellent as well.  Many herbalists recommend the use of catnip to induce sleep while at the same time to promote sweating.  This is a great method to break a fever while keeping the patient comfortable.  Many cultures have used catnip for centuries to treat insomnia as well as muscle spasms, coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms.

• Afraid of shrooms?

  Posted on December 29th, 2011 How to pass

  Among the huge variety of mushrooms there are some that are served in plates for a dinner table, and there are others that can be used only for “virtual” trip to far away. This is not the most popular way of recreation, but it has been around for a while and does not seem to go out of fashion any time soon. However, some people experience general fear and some degree of uncertainty when the use of psychedelic mushrooms comes up in conversation – apparently, according to an urban myth, shrooms make your brain bleed causing hallucinations. Is that really so?

  As a part of a group of hallucinogenic drugs, any psychedelic substance works in a similar manner of altering cognition and perception of a person. Psilocybin is actually very alike in structure to the two natural neurotransmitters – serotonin and DMT. So instead of making a brain bleed (as according to the myth) it merely pushes serotonin away and “uses” the brain receptors making the body to break up momoamine oxidase enzymes.

  Other drugs, like stimulants and opioids, also induce similar states of consciousness, but only psychedelic drugs affect human mind in such a way that a person experiences something extraordinary. If you had one of such experiences lately and have a drug test coming up shortly, remember to protect your private life with the help of a detox drink or detox pills. Simple and easy to use, detox will keep your urine clean for several hours, offering you a possibility to successfully pass a test.

• History of Drug Testing – Part 3

  Posted on December 28th, 2011 How to pass

  It was when Reagan declared the ‘War on Drugs’ in a radio broadcast in October 1982 that he referred to the use of drugs as an epidemic sweeping the nation. Pointing out that the use of drugs in general had an awful effect on the family unit. Of course – the beginning of this war was meant as just a part of a much larger move in government against crime in general. During this time, research was conducted into Organized Crime organizations, and what was the largest contributor to the income of the ‘mob’. Research concluded that the largest source of income for organized crime was drug trafficking. The one large positive of this research was the realization that all the attempts to stem the flow of drugs into the US was highly inefficient and sadly mostly ineffective, that the focus of the government up until that point had been a large waste of time and energy.

  Because efforts to reduce the amount of drugs were proving so unsuccessful someone came up with the plan to actually reduce the desire and demand for the drugs. The easiest way to do this they figured was in the workplace. The belief was that by having certain ‘critical positions’ within a company become positions that drug testing was mandatory for employment, would help to staunch the demand for drugs as people would now understand that they would be watched for this behavior. It is amusing to note that this idea came forth originally from a research study into organized crime income methods, than from any sort of workplace safety documents.