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Drug Testing 101: Screening Cut-Off Levels

March 1, 2012 by Jennie Lee-Pace 4 Comments

It’s not unusual for us to hear from customers new to drug testing who think a “negative” drug test means that a specimen contains zero drugs.  In fact, a negative drug screen does not necessarily mean zero amount of the drug in the specimen.  Industry practice defines a negative drug screen as a specimen that does not contain drugs at, or above, a specified concentration of drug.  The specified concentration of drug is called the cut-off level.  A specimen that contains drug at or above the cut-off level is a presumptive positive.  A specimen can contain a small concentration of drug that is below the cut-off level and still be correctly classified as a negative drug screen. 

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services establishes guidelines for drug testing Federal employees.  Dept. of Transportation drug test regulations reference the HHS guidelines, as do many private-sector employers.  While the HHS cut-off levels are intended for use by laboratories, many instant drug screen kits use the same cut-off levels.  Here are the current HHS cut-off levels for drugs of abuse.  Cut-off concentrations are expressed in nanograms per milliliter.

Drug Screening Cut-Off Level
Marijuana (THC) 50 ng/mL
Cocaine 150 ng/mL
Opiates / Morphine 2000 ng/mL
PCP 25 ng/mL
Amphetamine / Methamphetamine 500 ng/mL
MDMA (Ecstasy) 500 ng/mL

Comments

  1. Angelia Lamon says

    January 18, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    If the cut off level for amphetamine/methamphetamine is 500, why would a technician give a positive result at 180?

    Reply
  2. Creole Hnatkovich says

    July 31, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    So just to be certain if my cut off of marijuana is less then 50 ng/ml ill pass ass a negative?

    Reply
    • Jennie Lee-Pace says

      August 2, 2019 at 3:33 pm

      Less than 50 ng per mL of urine means the test is presumptive negative.

      Reply
  3. Andrea M Piccinetti says

    December 22, 2019 at 3:38 pm

    When a positive result is 1000’s of times higher than the cutout, does this mean the person is currently using a drug?

    Reply

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Since 1982, AlcoPro has supplied and manufactured the most accurate drug and alcohol testing instruments, kits, and supplies for professional use. We take pride in maintaining our industry-wide reputation for accuracy and quality as we help you—our top priority—perform alcohol and drug screenings and tests with greater precision and confidence.

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