Drug test

C

ChrisCC

Filing Flight Plan
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aviatorc
Currently hold 1st class med and working on my commercial lic
My employer is requiring a drug test for osha compliance
Having smoked marijuana within the past week I’d likely fail since I was in Colorado for a couple of weeks and was partaking;
I don’t care about my current job as much as I care about how a failed drug test can impact my plan to become a commercial pilot
Anyone have any knowledge on this topic? Does osha report a failed drug test anywhere that can be referenced by the FAA?
 
ChrisCC said:
Currently hold 1st class med and working on my commercial lic
My employer is requiring a drug test for osha compliance
Having smoked marijuana within the past week I’d likely fail since I was in Colorado for a couple of weeks and was partaking;
I don’t care about my current job as much as I care about how a failed drug test can impact my plan to become a commercial pilot
Anyone have any knowledge on this topic? Does osha report a failed drug test anywhere that can be referenced by the FAA?
Click to expand...

Quit your job then find another career. If you are stupid enough to smoke dope while in pilot training you aren’t smart enough to have a career in flying.
 
Had this happen to a guy at work. He ‘unknowingly ‘ vaped pot. He popped positive on a random test. He quit before he could get fired. No record.
 
Clip4 said:
Quit your job then find another career. If you are stupid enough to smoke dope while in pilot training you aren’t smart enough to have a career in flying.
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Have been on a 4 week hiatus from training. Was smoking in a state where it’s legal. no reason to judge.
 
ChrisCC said:
Have been on a 4 week hiatus from training. Was smoking in a state where it’s legal. no reason to judge.
Click to expand...
Just because a state makes it legal (It’s still illegal federally, by the way) doesn’t mean the Feds allow it. Frankly, if you don’t know that pot use and aviation don’t mix, you shouldn’t be flying anyway.

Sorry to be so harsh but those are the cold hard facts.
 
ChrisCC said:
Anyone have any knowledge on this topic? Does osha report a failed drug test anywhere that can be referenced by the FAA?
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FWIW: MJ is still federally illegal. You have zero recourse whether OSHA or FAA.
 
How to say it in a way nobody will listen to you:

Clip4 said:
Quit your job then find another career. If you are stupid enough to smoke dope while in pilot training you aren’t smart enough to have a career in flying.
Click to expand...

How to say the same thing without being a douche:
Greg Bockelman said:
Just because a state makes it legal (It’s still illegal federally, by the way) doesn’t mean the Feds allow it. Frankly, if you don’t know that pot use and aviation don’t mix, you shouldn’t be flying anyway.

Sorry to be so harsh but those are the cold hard facts.
Click to expand...
 
Should of prefaced by saying smoking weed while on vacation at a concert while I wasn’t flying in the near future was not my shining moment. I posted asking if anyone had knowledge of whether or not these results are shared.
quick glance; this forum is filled with folks who have adhd, sleep apnea, seizures, gallstone attacks, depression, anxiety, DUI’s, cardiac problems, diabetes, high bp (just to name a few) and are looking for advice on SI and work arounds.
If I was looking to be reminded I screwed up I’d call my mother.
Again, my question is does drug test results from an employer get shared.
 
Clip4 said:
Quit your job then find another career. If you are stupid enough to smoke dope while in pilot training you aren’t smart enough to have a career in flying.
Click to expand...

Winner winner chicken dinner.

ChrisCC said:
...quick glance; this forum is filled with folks who have adhd, sleep apnea, seizures, gallstone attacks, depression, anxiety, DUI’s, cardiac problems, diabetes, high bp (just to name a few) and are looking for advice on SI and work arounds.
Click to expand...

None of which is smoking weed, ya pothead.
 
These are a few questions on airline apps that you’ll have to answer

In the past two years, have you been employed by a company or applied to a company with whom you were subject to DOT required drug and alcohol testing?

In the past two years, have you tested positive or refused to test on any DOT Pre-Employment drug screen for any prospective employer with which you applied but did not obtain employment?
 
ChrisCC said:
drug test results from an employer get shared.
Click to expand...
Doesn't matter. If you have a positive you have to declare it. Just like a DWI. Are state DWI records shared? No. But.... Not being judgemental. Just truthful.
 
jordane93 said:
These are a few questions on airline apps that you’ll have to answer

In the past two years, have you been employed by a company or applied to a company with whom you were subject to DOT required drug and alcohol testing?

In the past two years, have you tested positive or refused to test on any DOT Pre-Employment drug screen for any prospective employer with which you applied but did not obtain employment?
Click to expand...
Gotcha. True. Thank you
 
Having worked in Human Resources I can say in my company those results are kept confidential.
But as others have stated you will be asked on applications.
That being said I can’t help but wonder how many more pilot jobs there would be if everyone who smoked marijuana in the past stepped down because they made a foolish mistake. good luck :)
 
ChrisCC said:
Have been on a 4 week hiatus from training. Was smoking in a state where it’s legal. no reason to judge.
Click to expand...
Legal in the state. Not legal under federal law. Flying comes under the federal laws.
 
So this dude is a student pilot and smokes a joint and everyone jumps on him, but you're an F'n liar if you are a professional pilot and didn't work with someone that was at best a borderline alcoholic, and probably cut the "bottle to throttle" rule a little too close.

One of those things is legal, the other isn't. One of those things is dangerous, the other isn't. I'll let you decide which is which.
 
Groundpounder said:
So this dude is a student pilot and smokes a joint and everyone jumps on him, but you're an F'n liar if you are a professional pilot and didn't work with someone that was at best a borderline alcoholic, and probably cut the "bottle to throttle" rule a little too close.

One of those things is legal, the other isn't. One of those things is dangerous, the other isn't. I'll let you decide which is which.
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Thank you sir
 
Also question 18n on your medical says substance dependence, or failed a drug test ever, or substance abuse or use of illegal substance in the past 2 years?
 
ChrisCC said:
Have been on a 4 week hiatus from training. Was smoking in a state where it’s legal. no reason to judge.
Click to expand...
legal at the state level pot remains a class 1 controlled substance and illegal at the federal level. and regardless of state legality employers have the right to establish their own rules for employees. good luck but you likely have stepped in it.
 
You get more notification beyond "You have an hour to get there."?

Must be a pretty lax drug program at that employer.
 
ChrisCC said:
Have been on a 4 week hiatus from training. Was smoking in a state where it’s legal. no reason to judge.
Click to expand...
As far as the FAA and the rest of the federal government is concerned, it's not legal ANYWHERE.
 
"Legal" has no bearing in this situation. The FAA tests only for "prohibited" drugs:

The substances to be tested for are
  • Marijuana
  • Cocaine
  • Opiates
  • Phencyclidine (PCP)
  • Amphetamines
  • A metabolite of the above-mentioned substances
Note that the list includes opiates, which are completely "legal" but result in a failure of the drug test, as do metabolites of all of the substances on the list, meaning that the drug doesn't have to be detected but residuals of it are still considered a failure of the test. There are published amounts that determine "positive" or "negative", so small amounts of those might still be considered a negative test. Roll the dice.
 
ChrisCC said:
Currently hold 1st class med and working on my commercial lic
My employer is requiring a drug test for osha compliance
Having smoked marijuana within the past week I’d likely fail since I was in Colorado for a couple of weeks and was partaking;
I don’t care about my current job as much as I care about how a failed drug test can impact my plan to become a commercial pilot
Anyone have any knowledge on this topic? Does osha report a failed drug test anywhere that can be referenced by the FAA?
Click to expand...

Cannot find any definitive info regarding OSHA reporting the drug testing results to the FAA. The info on the site below suggest the employer must report the info, but I'm not sure if that pertains to non-aviation employers, non-federal employers, etc...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/drug_alcohol/reporting/
 
Craigd31 said:
Cannot find any definitive info regarding OSHA reporting the drug testing results to the FAA. The info on the site below suggest the employer must report the info, but I'm not sure if that pertains to non-aviation employers, non-federal employers, etc...

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/drug_alcohol/reporting/
Click to expand...

The real question the OP should be asking is, "What are the consequences of failure to submit a sample?" If it's part of a drug compliance program then failure to submit is a failure of the test. I'd check with legal counsel in this case to see what the consequences are for an OSHA request. You might be able to refuse, quit smoking the stuff no matter where you are, wait for a period of time (maybe years) then re-enter the system.
 
I did a lot of stupid things in my past, not seeing the possible future consequences of my decisions. It took me over two years to get my special issuance, as a result of the process I am no longer able to fool myself into thinking its just one night and who will know, or that I can know all the possible cognitive effects and their duration of smoking weed. If you **** dirty or otherwise admit what happened (the latter making you look better for an SI) you are in for a process that is expensive, long, and there for a reason. The length of the process is bureaucratic nonsense, and a gut check on how bad you want to be a pilot, or if you'd rather have the freedom to smoke weed when you want.

It's easy to sit in judgement of your decision to smoke weed while sitting in a chair typing, and you did put yourself onto a public forum where judgement is likely. The FAA is a lot harsher than anyone will be on this forum, and doesn't care how you feel about their judgements. Some of what I have seen so far on this thread which may appear like judgements are the questions and comments you may want to pay attention to, as the FAA and a HIMS AME will have the same reaction to the situation you find yourself in.
 
ChrisCC said:
...Again, my question is does drug test results from an employer get shared.
Click to expand...

You missed the point. You are obligated to report usage of any illegal substance within the previous 2 years, regardless of any evidence. And yes, marijuana is an illegal substance according to the FAA.

What’s at stake is your integrity and whether or not you want to compound this error is judgement by falsifying an official document.
 
It seems like your options are either take the drug test or quit. Quitting may look sketchy since they’ve already notified you that you’re getting a drug test (or am I getting that wrong?). Also when you apply for the airlines on airline apps, you’ll have to list all your past employers and reasons why you quit.
 
How much did you smoke? And when is the test? Non-regular users are usually cleared in a week -ish, depending on how much was smoked in one sitting (for urine) hair is another story. No, I’m not a user but used to date a user (in rehab) and unfortunately they knew the ins and outs of how to get by. Fortunately for me the relationship didn’t work. However, you need to weigh is it worth the risk to see if you passed? Or if you refuse is it reported as a fail. You are unfortunately stuck between a rock and a hard place. Check with employer policy on their drug policy and if they report refusals.
 
Is an affirmative answer to 18n an automatic deferral ? it states " For a "yes" answer to Item 18.n., the Examiner should obtain a detailed description of the history. A history of substance dependence or abuse is disqualifying. The Examiner must defer issuance of a certificate if there is doubt concerning an applicant's substance use. " This is a question for an AME. It sounds like the OP knows he made a mistake and won't do it again. If it was a 1 time use, does that qualify as dependence or abuse?

Set yourself up to where you can answer honestly. Which means quitting your job before refusing the drug test (find another reason for quitting) and no more mj use and wait 2 years so you can answer no, or answer yes and deal with it. As far as post #15 above, osha is not dot, so not sure that this applies in the OP situation?
 
The guy didn't say he smoked pot and went flying intoxicated. The law is clear, but it doesn't mean it has to make sense. Pot is legal in Canada (all provinces), and Canadian pilots are flying in practically the same airspace as ours. The sky hasn't fallen yet in Canada. Some U.S laws are behind the times. Inter-racial marriages are still illegal in some states. Personally, I would feel safe sending my family flying with a pilot who occasionally smokes pot, rather than than someone who drinks alcohol every day. Legally, an airline pilot could get ****ed drunk on alcohol, wait until the BAC drops below 0.04 and carry 200 passengers down to IFR minimums. It makes no sense, but that is the law. If I were you, I would decline to do the osha test, or find out how long it takes for it to pass on its own.
 
This drug issue will be complicated by all the hype around CBD given that some studies have found that 20-25% of “pure” CBD products actually contained THC & resulted in + drug screens.
 
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