Methods of Marijuana Drug Testing

Marijuana drug testing is performed to detect the presence of THC or its metabolites in the consumed person. Marijuana in an individual can be detected for a month or longer. The time that marijuana stays in the body varies based on certain factors including age, health, metabolism, and concentration of marijuana consumed. Marijuana drug testing can be done in different types that include urine test, blood test, saliva test, sweat test and hair test.

Urine Test:
The urine test is performed to detect 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9 carboxylic acid (9-carboxy-THC) which is a metabolite of THC. Certain cut-off values for the drug are given by the regulatory organizations. The accepted cut-off value in urine for THC metabolites is 50ng/ml. If the concentration of the metabolites is greater than 50ng/ml then the test is resulted positive. The urine drug test that is conducted to detect marijuana is termed as urinalysis.

Blood Test:
Blood test is the most common type used for detecting the drug. The concentration of the drug in blood can be known even it is consumed an hour before the test is performed. This method gives an accurate measurement of the drug. The blood tests for marijuana are performed in cases such as autopsy, road traffic accidents, and intoxication.

Saliva Test:
Saliva test is an easiest way of marijuana drug tests but is more expensive when compared to urine and blood tests. This method gives accurate and quick results. The advantage of saliva test is that it can detect the drug that is consumed most recently. Also more amount of the drug, instead of its metabolites, is detected through saliva tests. .

Hair Test:
Hair test can be conducted to detect THC. The compound gets deposited in the hair shafts after passing through the blood vessels in the scalp. So even a small part of the hair shaft can be used for marijuana drug testing. Using this method the drug can be detected even after 90 days of the drug consumption.

Sweat Test:
Sweat test is performed by applying a patch on the skin for 10 to 14 days. Later it is sent to the laboratory for testing. The patch can detect marijuana that is consumed even before hours of performing the test.

Drugs and hormonal-imbalance

Hormones are chemicals and these are produced by body to regulate various functions. Important messages and signals are sent by hormones to different organs and tissues. When imbalance occurs, you start to feeling that something is wrong, if there is small change in hormonal levels.

A major role is played by medication and also oral contraceptives in hormonal-imbalance as the pills have female hormones. Also sometimes imbalance can be caused by antibiotics, pain relievers and liver medication. Using drugs can cause upset in the balance.

There are many unpleasant symptoms in men if there is hormonal-imbalance such as depression, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, irritability, reduction in hair and skin quality and reduction in muscle mass.

Drugs lower the testosterone production in the long run in men. In the way of reducing the level of production in that way the body's hormone system reacts. In women hormonal-imbalance effects health, and hormones produced by women will vary from month to month depending on nutrition, stress, exercise and ovulation. Women will have many problems in her pregnancy.

Know About Marijuana Use Among Teens

Now-a-days Marijuana is being used among the teens frequently. They even think that there is no problem using marijuana. They observe their favorite movie stars, friends, their siblings, and parents consuming them. Initially the usage may not effect them much but it will eventually get them in to addiction and lead to harmful mental and physical problems.

More often Marijuana makes them feel thirsty and even hungry. It is even much more effective than the tobacco. The amount of inhaled substance which is being inhaled is three to five times dangerous than the tobacco consumption. The main component in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinal).

Teen users of marijuana may get degraded in schools, in sports, and affects their concentration. In some cases, they lose their track of their studies. The short term effects of marijuana include impaired coordination, impacts motor driving skills, memory loss etc.

Heavy usage of marijuana makes the teen to loose his concentration. Poor academic performance will be resulted as a result of consuming marijuana. Marijuana is an illegal drug which affects the health of a teen. Marijuana abuse by teenagers may land them in jail.

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Pros And Cons Of Urine Drug Testing

Urine drug testing is very much suitable for repeated random drug testing at home or workplace, because they are cheaper, accurate and very easy to conduct.

Pros: Preliminary urine drug tests can be easily conducted, whereas confirmatory tests are based on a sophisticated technology and they consist of huge scientific base. The results of these tests are correct and reliable. The price of urine drug testing kits is lesser than other type of drug test kits. In urine drug testing kits, cup based drug test kits are costlier than cassette and dip drug test kits. Results can be known immediately and it does not require lab or technician for conducting the drug tests. These drug tests kits can be easily stored and have long service life. They can identify nearly 12 different drugs based on the test kit selected.

Cons: Based on the person and the substance used, generally drug can be detected in 3 days. Urine sample in drug test kits can be easily adulterated or contaminated than other drug test kits. But cup test kits are difficult to adulterate and more reliable. Some donors feel that urine drug tests are embarrassing.

For possible adulteration separate adulteration tests can be conducted.

Detection Periods Of Commonly Abused Drugs In Urine Drug Testing

Drug detection times indicate the period after taking a drug for which drug testing can show positive result. Drug testing helps in identifying presence of resulting metabolites in specimen. The factors that vary Drug detection times are influenced by frequency of use, type of specimen, test method, cutoff levels, metabolism, and other factors.

Amount and Frequency of Use: Single, random, small doses of drugs can be usually detected at the lower boundary. Chronic and long-term use mainly result in detection periods near or at the upper boundary.

Metabolic Rate: Individuals who have slower body metabolism are more likely to have longer drug detection periods.

Body Mass: Generally, human metabolism slows down with increase in the body mass, leading to longer drug detection periods. Depending upon type of effect on body the detection period varies.

Age: Usually, with increasing age, human metabolism slows down. This leads to longer drug detection periods.

Overall Health: In general, human metabolism slows at the time of health problems, and leads to longer drug detection periods.

Drug Tolerance: Drug Users can regularly metabolize a drug faster once resistance to the drug is created.

Urine pH: Generally, shorter drug detection period are observed in high acidic urine.

Does Smoking Effect My Sleep?

Many researches are shown that cigarette smoking has been linked with a high occurrence of sleep-related complaints. However, its effects on sleep structure have not been fully examined. The main objective of this investigation was to assess the impact of cigarette smoking on sleep architecture. Sleep disturbances are a general side effect of nicotine withdrawal. Some people will sleep much more than common through this phase of cessation, while others have difficulty getting any sleep at all. If you find yourself suffering from insomnia during the first few weeks after you quit smoking, try a few of these natural remedies to ease your discomforts.

Remember, the physical withdrawal phase of quitting tobacco is a temporary condition. Your sleep patterns will return to normal soon, providing you didn’t have insomnia before cessation. Smokers spend more time in a light sleep. Non-smokers spend more time in a deep sleep, allowing them to feel more awaken the next day. A reason for this is nicotine and its impact on the brain. Smoking cigarettes impairs sleep quality, possibly because of nicotine withdrawal, according to a study in the February issue of Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. The study is among the first to isolate the effects of smoking on sleep.

Cigarettes contain nicotine that affects sleep. It is a stimulant that keeps you awake. But smokers are not aware of this fact. Rather they claim that a puff of cigarette smoke makes them feel calmer and helps them relax. On the contrary, nicotine stimulates the mind and the body. It interferes with the body’s ability to fall and stay asleep. Nicotine is a stimulant drug that once it wore off threw the smoker into a physiologically depressed state. The availability of objective data on sleep architecture, with self-reported information on smoking status, provides an opportunity to characterize sleep structure among current, former, and never smokers in a large community-based sample.

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Quit Smoking Guidelines

Majority of the smokers are afraid that they can’t quit, that cigarettes are more powerful than they are. Actually this is fear from the fear, because if you are still smoking, how can you know that it’s hard without cigarettes. Whenever you are deciding to quit smoking first thing you have to do is to hate that you’re controlled. Finally you can’t stop smoking without thinking and trying to execute a non-smoker habit. Here are some guidelines which are helpful for you to quit smoking habit.

• If you can hold out without smoking for only one minute, don’t you think that you can do it in the next minute? Sure you can. You should battle the desire by the minute. It is a much shorter time period to fight your battle and win.
• Your first trigger occurs at a point where the body is trained to enjoy a cigarette along with a drink or after a meal, etc. These triggers will last for a maximum of 5 minutes. During these 5 minutes your entire body will induce you that it is okay to light a cigarette, which you have reason and it will come up with so many excuses that it will be hard for you to say no.
• Second, as I mentioned in the secret for becoming a non-smoker, you should not involve yourself in your personal fight with the habit. You can’t win your habit in this way, because there will be a period when you’re feeling “down” and that will be a good enough reason for lighting a cigarette.
• You should also be conscious that you’ll be very confused in the first 3 days and this is normal and you should accept it. This is the period where your brain is forcing you to light a cigarette and attempts to convince you with what may seem “reasonable” excuses. Since you programmed your brain to feel pleasure whenever you light a cigarette, it is now telling you that something might be wrong without a cigarette or that something might be missing from your life.

So follow these tips when only you have the will power to quit cigarettes with out have willingness you can’t quit it until you die.

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