How can this be?

From:  "tyjack3"

Recently a friend told me that she tested positive to marijuana in her physical. However, this same friend says that she does not use drugs. How can that be? She says that she was around people that were smoking and it must have gotten into her system. Is this possible? I don't believe her. Please tell me how could that happen.

i know all was the first to send us this: 

poppy seeds. yes you read correct I said poppy seeds. what happens is that there are chemicals in it that on a drug test make it show positive

TB:  Multiple exposure to second hand marijuana smoke can show up in your system. It can take a month to flush it out.

amr shalakani gave his doctorate opinion: 

yes it could...the active substance in marijuana is a volatile oil. it's particles are carried in air by means of smoke....so if she sat with friends smoking the stuff... she could inhale some in her system.vjust like passive smoking in ciggs. if u sit close to someone who have smoked 10 ciggs... then you've smoken one yourself!!

khrysti rattled off this answer: 

she may not be lying. to hang out in a room where all the second hand smoke it floating it is entirely possible to get the drug in to ones system ie. if you get a contact high then you are high just not as high as one who directly inhaled the smoke. that is also how people who do not smoke get smoking related cancers. and a probation violation if you need to pass a urine test for your poo

pavolka shared their opinion: 

Despite what the people making fortunes producing the tests claim, they're not reliable. The best tests, done by the best labs who know they're being watched, are about 95 percent accurate. The inexpensive tests -- the ones under about $50 for a scan -- aren't a whole lot better than a guess. (the testers use a high cutoff for positives below which they don't report a positive. Of course these are arbitrary -- and cause some false negatives to go along with the false positives that happen because the body's chemistry is so much more complex than the test merchants can cope with.)

RedSonya added this: 

About the drug test question it is possible for someone who has been around 2nd hand smoke to test positive. Like getting a contact buzz. But over the counter medication such as Ibuprofen can also cause you to test positive for marijuana in a drug test.

Keith responded with this: 

If she was around people that were smoking MJ, then she was also inhaling some of the smoke so she would test positive. Remember Ross Rebagliati and his "passive dope-smoking" defense at the 1998 Winter Olympics?

sarah answered with this: 

there are 2 possible explanations.
1)SHE'S A FREAKIN LIAR
2)she didn't do it, but got it in her system (which is possible. its like 2nd hand cigarette smoke) and was stupid for hanging out with people getting right fucked before she had to take an effin drug test. in conclusion. your friend is lying, or just dumb

Smartie mumbled this: 

Some other chemicals, and or foods test positive on the drug tests. (I think pecan and poppy seed but don't quote me on it)

elah simply stated this: 

yes it is possible to test positive for marijuana or any other in haled drug if you are in a room with enough in the air to be tested for

Mr. Obvious summed up with this: 

Second-hand smoke seems about as likely to cause your friend to test positive on a -test as second-hand cigarette smoke is likely to cause lung disease. Which, for the record, is not all that rare.