People who are on probation often have very strict rules to follow. While some rules apply to everyone, such as the requirement to avoid future legal issues, some others are based on the person’s conviction and lifestyle. One of the possible requirements is that you will undergo drug testing.
When the probation office requires you to go through drug tests, there are specific things that you should remember. There is a good chance that you will be tested each time you report to your probation officer. You might also be called in for random drug tests. You have to take all of these drug tests or you risk having to face a probation violation.
You should remember that there are a variety of types of drug tests. There are some that test for only limited substances, such as a standard five-drug panel. This one tests for opiates, marijuana, cocaine, amphetamine and PCP. In most cases, the probation officer will also add alcohol testing to this. It is also possible for the officer to take a larger panel that tests for more drugs than this.
Drug tests won’t tell the probation officer only what you’ve taken in the last few hours. These tests can often detect whether a person has used drugs in the recent past. Some tests can go pretty far back, such as if the test is done on a strand of hair. This means that you can’t just stay clean in the few days before your visit to the probation office and expect to pass the drug test.
If you do end up facing a violation for failing a drug test, make sure that you are preparing for the legal process. This usually includes a bench trial before a judge.
Source: U.S. Drug Test Centers, “Probation Drug Testing,” accessed June 08, 2018
