Last updated : February 17, 2025
Elon Musk is raising eyebrows at every turn since becoming chair of the new administration’s newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His reply to an X post tagging DOGE in which the commenter inquired if the department had considered mandatory workforce-wide drug testing at the federal level may have leveled up to hair-raising for some.
Musk’s reply? “Great idea.”
Social media picked up the gauntlet and ran with it, of course, with both sides making their thoughts known about Musk’s response. Some were quick to point out the fact that Musk was held over the fire when he smoked pot on Joe Rogan’s podcast back in 2018. Musk has said he didn’t inhale. However, it’s not keeping some from charging that his view of mandating immediate drug testing for federal employees across the board is like the pot calling the kettle black.
Is that the case though?
Marijuana is becoming legalized at both the medical and recreational levels across the nation. Moreover, there’s continued talk of it being legalized at the federal level. When that happens, it may be removed from the federal drug test altogether, but, then again, alcohol is “legal” and employers test for it.
Should marijuana legalization be treated differently?
Even though alcohol is socially acceptable, employers test for it. That’s because it causes impairment meaning that anyone under the influence on the clock is a danger to themselves and others. Marijuana is no different. Even though it’s legal in some states, it is a drug that causes impairment.
That’s the reason that employers have every right to keep marijuana on their company drug tests. The problem for some lies in the fact that marijuana metabolites remain in the system long after the effects of the drug wear off. Advocates for removing marijuana from company drug tests in states where it’s legal to use argue that isn’t fair.
However, until a test for current impairment—the actual detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the system—if someone tests positive for pot, they will likely be terminated.
That makes complete sense from an employer’s perspective because if someone were under the influence of marijuana on the job, it puts them and everyone who comes into contact with them at greater risk of being involved in an accident.
The main reason employers drug test their employees is for safety’s sake…
You see where we’re going here, right?
How long do drugs remain in your system?
The three most common drug tests used for employee drug testing are urine, oral fluid, and hair follicle drug tests. All three of these tests identify drug metabolites, the substance left behind after the ingested drug goes through the body’s metabolization process.
Several factors play a part in how long metabolites remain in the body before excretion.
They include:
- Which drug test is used
- Dose taken
- How often drugs are used
- Tolerance to the drug
- Potency
- Individual body mass index (BMI)
- Some medical conditions
The list
Below is a list of approximate times that certain drugs remain detectable after last use, however, the times can vary one way or the other depending on the individual.
- Amphetamines—urine, 1-3 days vs oral fluids, 2-3 days
- Barbituates—urine, 2-4 days vs oral fluids
- Benzodiazepines—urine, 3-6 weeks vs oral fluids, 4-12 hours
- Cocaine—urine, 3-4 days vs oral fluids, 1-2 days
- Codeine—urine, 3-4 days vs oral fluids, up to 21 hours
- Heroin—urine, 3-4 days vs oral fluids, 4-24 hours
- LSD—urine, 1-3 days vs oral fluids, up to 12 hours
- Marijuana—urine, 7-30 days vs oral fluids, 8-12 hours
- MDMA, otherwise known as ecstasy—urine, 3-4 days vs oral fluids, 2-3 days
- Methamphetamine—urine, 3-6 days vs oral fluids, 2-3 days
- Morphine—urine 2-3 days vs oral fluids, up to three days
- Opioids—urine, 1-4 days vs oral fluids, 7-21 hours
- Phencyclidine (PCP)—urine, 7-14 days vs oral fluids, 12-24 hours
Hair follicle drug tests don’t require extracting hair follicles. The name pertains to the fact that drug metabolites store themselves in hair follicles and are grown out into the hair shaft. The record of drug use remains there forever. However, the length of hair testes is cut to measure one and one-half inches. This means that hair tests identify drug use for 90 days.
Acing the test
Despite the heat that Elon Musk’s positive response to drug testing all federal employees garnered, people who use drugs know they are breaking the law. If government employees are mandated to take a drug test and fail, then they should deal with the consequences of their actions.
Even Musk willingly submitted himself to numerous random drug tests after he smoked pot with Joe Rogan. People were up in arms at that antic because he owned SpaceX, a federally contracted company. The tests were all negative for drugs—so it’s plausible that he spoke the truth and didn’t inhale. In 2021, he was in the spotlight again when he admitted to using ketamine. Stating at the time that people should be “open to psychedelics.” Still, Elon Musk has never failed a company drug test.
It may be that federal employees could soon be put to that test and, in light of all the protests regarding Musk’s comment, we wonder how many of them could say the same.
