MythBusters: Midstream Urine Helps Pass a Piss Test?

A urine drug test is cheap, easy to administer, and readily available, which is why it’s one of the most common types of drug tests. Whether it’s for your job or something else, how to pass a drug test when you know you have THC in your system is a hot topic no matter where you look.

One of the most commonly touted ways of passing is by capturing your urine midstream, but how does this work? Basically, this means you expel a small amount of urine, stop, collect a bit of your urine in the specimen cup, and then stop again, emptying your bladder the rest of the way in the toilet.

Even though this sounds like one of the easiest ways to get through a urine drug screening without THC showing up, you really do need to know the facts about this proposed solution.

Brief THC Background

When you consume cannabis, whether it is ingested, smoked, or otherwise, your body goes through a process to metabolize the THC. THC-COO-glucuronide is the metabolite that urine drug tests pick up, and this is because the metabolite is processed by your kidneys as it works its way through your body. So, in general terms, when you smoke or consume cannabis, your kidneys process the metabolite while making urine, then the urine goes to your bladder and it’s expelled.

Primary Claims

Take your pick of websites online trying to help you pass a urine drug test, and you will see a few reasons offered as to why the midstream urine sample method could work to get you a clear sample. There are two main ways proposed to explain why capturing midstream urine would help, but these are false propositions and easily debunked.

Claim #1: THC Metabolite Precipitation

This claim is based on the idea that THC metabolites are not evenly dispersed or stored inside of your bladder. Some people believe that THC would be found in a higher concentration at either the top or the bottom of your bladder, but this is not the case.

The glucuronide metabolite, or THC metabolite being tested for, is actually in a solution in your bladder. This basically means the metabolite is going to be the same throughout all of the urine inside your bladder. So it shouldn’t matter if the test is performed on the first drops of urine or the last, you’ll still have the same metabolite ratio.

Claim #2: Residual THC Metabolite

The second common claim is that THC metabolites hang out in the urethra, which stems from your bladder in the leftover urine after you pee. The claim is that people who smoke or consume a lot of marijuana will have higher levels of the metabolites here, which means the initial bit or urine expelled would have more THC as it first passes through the urethra and grabs any remaining THC-tainted urine along with it.

While this may sound like a logical claim, it’s more or less a bogus one without scientific backing. In fact, the amount of urine held in the urethra is so minuscule, it wouldn’t really make much of a difference either way.

Conclusion: Midstream Urine Sample Tactics Are a Myth

With a look at the facts and all things considered, it is easy to conclude that midstream urine to pass a drug test is a myth. While this method definitely is not going to hurt to try on the fly and really takes little effort, it’s mostly a pointless thing to do.

Relying on midstream collection alone to help yourself pass a drug test when you know you have THC in your system is just going to land you with a failed test. A failed drug test can can have a lot of negative consequences, including potentially losing your job or job opportunity, or even worse depending on the laws in your state, so it really isn’t worth the risk.