What Drugs Show Up on a Drug Test?
A 5-panel test is the most common, which tests for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opioids, and amphetamines. Substances that typically don't show up include CBD, shrooms, and suboxone.
When most people think of drug tests, they tend to think of marijuana. However, they encompass far more than that. In fact, with marijuana now either legal or semi-legal in many states, concern over it on drug tests is much less than what it was. However, there are a variety of other drugs that can be tested for. Which ones show up on your standard 5-panel drug test? Here’s what you need to know.
What Shows Up
The most common test is the 5-panel drug test. It’s given by most employers and most federal agencies in standard situations. It tests for marijuana, cocaine, PCP, opioids, and amphetamines. Amphetamines also includes methamphetamines, i.e. meth or crystal meth, so those will all be detectable on a 5-panel drug test.
Most forms of cannabis will show up on a urine test anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after you’ve taken them. That includes Delta-8, which is similar in structure and composition to THC, but not quite the same. The chemical composition is close enough that it will still most likely trigger a positive test result.
LSD or acid can show up on a standard, immunoassay test, but it depends on how much of it is in your system. Only about 1% of the acid you take makes its way out of your body in the same molecular form as the one in which you ingested it. So unless you’ve taken a significant amount of LSD, the chances are good that the test will miss the trace amounts still in your system. However, the rest of the drug is broken down in your body into metabolites, which are detectable in a lab test.
Quaaludes won’t show up on a standard 5-panel test, but they will show up on an 8-panel test. Methadone shows up on the 10-panel test, and MDMA (Ecstasy) and Percocet show up on the 12-panel test.
What Doesn’t Show Up
While a standard 5-panel drug test will detect marijuana fairly easily, it usually won’t detect CBD. That’s because the marijuana test is designed to detect THC, specifically, and pure CBD doesn’t contain THC. Some CBD products are processed with trace amounts of THC, so it’s possible that in large amounts, it can trigger a positive drug test. However, this is rare and unlikely.
Another drug that won’t show up is shrooms. 5-panel and even 12-panel drug tests won’t detect the presence of shrooms in your system. If an employer suspects you’re taking shrooms, there is a separate test they can administer, but it’s complicated and expensive, so it’s unlikely this will be a factor.
Suboxone will also not show up on a standard drug test. Used to treat opioid addiction, it doesn’t actually contain opioids, but a similar substance called buprenorphine. It’s chemically different enough that it won’t trigger a false positive, and won’t show up on a drug test that’s not specifically looking for it.
If you’re in a position where you’re going to be drug tested, it’s important to know what you’re in for. Different tests detect different substances. Some are easy to spot, while others go under the radar. Forewarned is forearmed, so knowing what drugs are detectable will help you to pass the test. Contact us to learn more!