![]() ![]() SAMSHA acknowledges "scientific evidence that melanin pigments may influence the amount of drug incorporated into hair." In one study cited by SAMSHA, for example, "codeine concentrations in black hair were seven-fold higher than those in brown hair and 14-15-fold higher than those in blond hair." As the agency notes, such findings "have raised concerns that selective drug binding with the wide variation of color pigments distributed amongst the population may introduce bias in drug test results." ![]() There is a similar problem with urine testing, but the detection period for urinalysis is much shorter-a few days after a single dose of marijuana, for example, or as long as a month for regular cannabis consumers.Īnother widely recognized problem with hair tests is that their results are affected by hair color. In other words, hair testing does not detect impairment or even recent use. Depending on hair length and growth rate, the detection window can be as long as a year. Metabolites do not show up in hair until after a drug's effects have worn off and typically can be detected for up to three months. If the aim of these tests is to identify workers whose job performance is affected by psychoactive substances, that "benefit" is actually a disadvantage. The proposed rule, which was published last week, says "hair testing potentially offers several benefits when compared to urine," including "a longer window of drug detection." ![]() A rule recently proposed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) revives the previously rejected idea of using hair tests in drug screening of federal employees and workers in federally regulated industries. ![]()
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