Employers deliberately make their drug testing policies as private as possible to stop employees from having a chance to prepare. It’s no different at Lowe’s, although it’s inevitable that some testing information will sneak out.
Drug testing at Lowe’s occurs during the application process, with prospective employees required to provide a urine or mouth swab sample. The type of drug test used depends on the store’s rules, with policies changing slightly from shop to shop. Current employees may get randomly drug tested at any point.
That’s a general overview of the drug testing situation at Lowe’s, but I have plenty of complexities to unpack. In this post, we’ll look closely at how Lowe’s approaches drug testing, how various tests work, and how to make sure you don’t fail one.
Who is Lowe’s?
Lowe’s Companies, Inc., (aka Lowe’s) is one of America’s most recognizable home improvement companies. Carl Buchan founded the company in 1961, which now operates in the United States and Canada and has roughly 300,000 employees on its payroll.
Jobs available at Lowe’s include cashier, delivery driver, sales associate, and seasonal stocker, not to mention an array of managerial positions. The type of job influences how Lowe’s approaches drug testing.
Drug Testing at Lowe’s
In this section, we will look at each job in more depth, analyzing the demands of the role and the perspective of Lowe’s. I’ll draw upon real comments posted online by employees, and give some general thoughts based on the available evidence.
Cashiers and sales associates
Those working in customer service roles at Lowe’s can expect a drug test as part of pre-employment screening. From what employees have said, the contract has a section stating that Lowe’s can randomly drug test employees at any time.
Lowe’s looks to have a relatively firm drug testing policy, but with caveats to make it fair. As we can see from this Reddit post, pre-employment screening generally involves a mouth swab rather than a urine test.
That’s excellent news since most substances linger in urine for much longer than they do saliva. Lowe’s seemingly recognizes that some folks like to indulge in drugs like marijuana during their downtime and doesn’t want to write them off.
Therefore, if you’re a regular weed user who has an upcoming interview at Lowe’s, you should be fine if you take two or three days off beforehand. It’s not too much to ask and shows a modernizing drug policy in a world where marijuana is now mainstream.
Indeed, some employees claim Lowe’s has stopped testing for weed altogether. Given the wave of legalization in Canada and several US states, that would be sensible. After all, Lowe’s cannot afford to turn away too many possible workers!
However, there’s a huge difference between taking drugs during your free time and coming into work stoned. Indeed, if you work at Lowe’s, there may be times when you need to operate heavy machinery.
If you turn up for your shift drunk, hungover, or high, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll get tested. And if you have an accident while working at Lowe’s, you may be subject to a blood test.
Blood and saliva tests detect current drug use more effectively than urine samples. You would forgo any right to worker compensation in the event of failing a drug test at Lowe’s while under the influence.
Ultimately, providing you don’t push your luck, the initially intimidating Lowe’s drug testing policy probably isn’t too bad for cashiers and sales associates. And if they have significantly relaxed things with cannabis, that’s a bonus!
Delivery drivers
Prepare for more scrutiny over your drug use if you are a delivery driver. However, that might not come courtesy of Lowe’s if the company has outsourced delivery driving to a third party.
But it’s common sense. Drivers must be sober while on the job as the consequences can easily become deadly if they aren’t. Moreover, a mouth swab will not suffice in this case – you’ll have to take a Department of Transportation (DOT) urine test.
That means peeing in a pot and undergoing numerous wellbeing tests. These can go beyond the standard 5-panel screening to test for substances like MDMA. The DOT typically uses mouth swabs or breathalyzers to check for current alcohol use.
The DOT exam determines a driver’s overall health. You may be tested on how long you can comfortably sit in the same spot. Or you could have your mental stress capacities put to work. Your emotional wellbeing also goes under the microscope.
In a nutshell, if you are a Lowe’s delivery driver, get ready for thorough testing at any time. Anticipate a pre-employment screening like other applicants face, and ensure you are fit to work at all times so you can handle the dreaded DOT test.
Managers
Drug testing may be more common at Lowe’s if you are a manager, although there’s no definitive evidence. With far fewer Lowe’s managers than there are cashiers and delivery drivers, the lack of information comes as no surprise.
But let’s look at it logically. Lowe’s needs its managers in tip-top condition while they are on the job. If the head of the ship isn’t in full control, what chance do the rest of the staff have?
Anybody applying for such a role will get the inevitable pre-employment drug test, and random testing could happen at any time. Whatever you do, don’t turn up to working looking worse for wear!
What Drugs Show Up on a Test?
Now we need to explore the different types of detectable drugs. I’ll keep to guidance for urine and saliva samples since Lowe’s uses those tests for pre-employment checks and random testing.
Marijuana: Cannabis becomes detectable in saliva within minutes but is typically gone within 48 hours. Marijuana metabolites can stay in urine for a month or longer, especially if you are a regular user.
Opiates: Codeine lingers in saliva for between one to four days, whereas heroin generally disappears within a few hours. Mouth swabs cannot check for fentanyl.
Urine samples can test positive for heroin up to one week after consumption. Codeine and fentanyl metabolites get flushed out within 48 hours.
Cocaine: Urine samples are relatively okay for cocaine users, with the substance only detectable for three days. But compared to other substances, the 48-hour detectability window for cocaine in saliva is surprisingly high.
Amphetamines: Amphetamines (i.e., Adderall) may stick around in urine and saliva for around five days. In daily, heavy users, amphetamine metabolites might stay detectable for somewhat longer.
PCP: On average, phencyclidine (aka Angel Dust) remains in your urine for two weeks. But the hallucinogenic drug should only be detectable via a mouth swab for 48 hours.
Does kratom show up on a drug test?
Fortunately, kratom’s newfound popularity hasn’t translated into a drug testing issue – for now. Alkaloids like mitragynine are the crucial components in kratom, which regular drug tests aren’t set up to detect.
But I don’t recommend shouting from the rooftops about your kratom use. Companies have developed kratom drug tests and an employer could technically make you take one if they had any suspicions.
Otherwise, the cost of testing all employees for kratom far outweighs the upside of catching a few users. Keep your consumption of kratom products lowkey and I cannot imagine that you will run into any difficulties.
Will CBD make me fail a drug test?
The risk of failing a drug test due to taking CBD products could be higher than you realize. While CBD-isolate products that separate the CBD from the rest of the plant are fine, full-spectrum gummies and tinctures could land you in hot water.
The law that legalized hemp products – the 2018 Farm Bill – strictly limits THC content to a miserly 0.3%. But while that’s low enough that you can’t get high from it, initial research suggests it could be plenty as far as drug tests go.
The occasional dose won’t hurt, but most CBD users consume products regularly, and perhaps even daily. With such a dosing regimen, full-spectrum products with a barely registerable 0.02% THC could take your metabolite levels over the drug test threshold.
I must stress these are only the results from one paper, and the researchers point to several caveats and study limitations. But it’s a signal that not all CBD products come free from drug test concerns. I recommend buying CBD-isolate to be safe.
We can hope that Lowe’s has cooled its stance over employees using marijuana when not at work. If so, you could also enjoy hemp-derived delta-9, delta-8, delta-10, HHC, THC-O, and other emerging cannabinoids with peace of mind!
How Do Drug Tests at Lowe’s Work?
It’s never pleasant to go into an unfamiliar situation with no idea what to expect. While stores may have subtle variations when conducting drug tests, the procedures should be broadly similar wherever you work.
Urine Sample
If required to take a urine test when working at Lowe’s, your sample will be analyzed using a standard 5-panel test. That is unless you are a delivery driver, in which case you will face a more thorough DOT urine test.
You may get to produce your sample in private, although a test conducted under supervision cannot be ruled out. The laboratory should confirm a clean urine sample within 24 hours, but unclear and likely positive tests may take longer to come back.
Mouth swab (saliva)
Saliva samples only take a few seconds, with a quick swab of the cheek all that’s needed. Mouth swabs have a sponge or a similarly absorbent material on the tip to pick up enough saliva for testing.
Companies can often process saliva tests without having to send them off to the laboratory, hence their increasing popularity. However, if on-site analysis isn’t possible, you should get your results back within 24 to 48 hours.
Blood
If you end up taking a blood test as a Lowe’s employee, something will have gone badly wrong. These tests only get used in the event of a workplace accident. The typical turnaround time for a blood sample analysis is 24 hours.
Top Tips for Passing a Drug Test
While you can prepare for pre-employment drug screening, random testing is a different beast. With the former, I suggest taking a few days off the drugs before your test, since Lowe’s usually opts for mouth swabs over urine testing.
But you can still take precautions that should stand you in good stead if you ever get selected for random drug testing. Here are my tips for passing a test.
Water, water, and more water!
If you have taken any drugs in the days preceding a test, drinking water can help you out. It’s unlikely to benefit hardcore daily users, but occasional consumers can effectively get their drug metabolite levels down with some H2O.
Drug tests won’t produce a positive result for any amount of a substance in your system – the concentration must exceed a certain threshold. Naturally, upping your water consumption increases the water content of your urine, reducing drug metabolite concentration.
Detox Products
For those who need a more substantial fix, detox products can turn your drug test fortunes around. Drinks and capsules can assist with urine tests, while detox mouthwashes can temporarily eliminate any drug metabolites in your saliva.
Synthetic Urine
If you know that a real sample won’t cut it and you aren’t prepared to risk a detox product, the situation calls for synthetic urine. With these products, it’s not the drugs you need to worry about, but giving a realistic sample and not getting caught.
Urine testing laboratories have taken steps to detect fake urine, but synthetic products have become more lifelike in response. Providing you use a high-quality fake pee and deliver your sample without arousing suspicion, you should be golden.
The Clear Choice Sub-Solution Synthetic Urine remains a stand-out option in terms of product quality. If there’s one downside, the urine comes in a bottle, making it tricky to give the sample under supervision. But you can solve that problem with a prosthetic penis device!
