Cannabis Intake

[187nj]

hello this is 1st post of pprune I found this site after searching the internet today.

I'm hoping there may be a doctor on here who can help me, I'm extremely worried about something.

Ok here goes.

In 2 weeks I have my class 2 coming up and then I'm off to the states to finish my PPL training.

But

Last night I went to a friends party and there was these 2 guys smoking cannabis in the kitchen. The offered me some but I said no and told them that I was learning to fly. They joked with me about flying whilst 'high' not funny but I thought 'these two are friendly.' I continued to talk to them as they were seriously making me laugh but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Not only had I been stood in there for hours in the thick of the smoke but I had been breething in all the stuff that was coming out of the joints. I started to feel really sick and lightheaded. I have only just got out of bed as I have spent most of the day worrying myself sick. I'm scared that I have runied my chances of passing my medical and becoming an airline pilot in the future.

Could anyone help me please? I'm going to the doctors aswell to see what they say.

nj

[Rubes]

talk to frank:E

[187nj]

Hi Pubes,

Frank is a information service maily for people with drug addictions.

I've never taken any drugs and I hope that last night wasn't my first.

Thanks for your kind help tho.

[obgraham]

Assuming it's an FAA 2nd class you're going for...
They don't test for drugs.
They ask about YOUR drug use, not others in the same house.
Answer the questions concisely and accurately. Don't bring up irrelevant stuff.
Go off and finish your training.
Don't use cannabis. Or other recreational drugs.

[187nj]

it's JAA Class 2...??

[uklocations]

Follow obsgrahams advice and you won't have a problem.

I must say, these pair sound like a pair of losers, ultimately they tried to ruin your career.:)

[187nj]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I found some drug testing kits on the net which I think I might try also have booked appointment at the doctors to see if he notices anything.

[Newforest]

Perhaps if you can't spell RUBES you may still be under the influence!

[Salusa]

Dont sweat it.

Even if you had "actively" smoked it will be clear from your system with respect to blood and urine tests. You may want to shave off all your body hair though....;)

Linky with more info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_test

[187nj]

Salusa.

Why do you advise shaving all my hair off?

BTW - That link is very helpful, thank you.

[Shunter]

Drug (ab)use is not tested for. That's not the purpose of the medical. Chill :cool: There are plenty of people who smoke cannabis who hold JAA medicals. Personally I grew out of it round about the same time I finished my education and graduated to the real world...

The blood test is just for hemoglobin and cholesterol (although the latter is not a limiting factor). The urine test is for blood, glucose and protein.

[187nj]

Thanks Shunter.

Very helpful indeed.

[uklocations]

Just for the record Frank will give advice about drugs to those without direct drug problems.:)

[flufdriver]

Nevertheless, I have to say that the initial post made me laugh!

Without trying to be judgmental, the story sounds like something you try to sell your Mother after you got caught!

The moral of the story is; if you were actually partaking rather then just standing in the proximity, it is not likely that you will stop now and then it only becomes a matter of time before something goes wrong and you can kiss the investment you made into a Pilots license good-bye.

A young man, the son of an acquaintance, just had his License pulled for good because of testing positive, mind you it was coke, but probably started on less potent stuff.

If you really want to be an aviator, distance yourself from the drug culture and those that are part of it. period!

good luck with your medical!

fluf

[Whirlybird]

flufdriver,

I think you've got it precisely backwards. 187nj sounds to me like someone very young, very 'straight', who hasn't tried drugs of any type and doesn't want to. Hence his/her unnecessary panic. But it's not even relevant. He/she asked about passive cannabis smoking and the medical, not your/our views on the drug culture.

Shunter is spot on. They don't test for drug use. Even if they did, and even if you'd actually smoked cannabis, it would be out of your system by then.

Like Shunter, I gave up cannabis use, and the social scene that went with it, when I grew up and put away childish things. That was more years ago than I care to remember or to admit to. :( But I do actually remember enough of the facts to know what I'm talking about. So 187nj, please don't worry.

[flufdriver]

Whirly...

It seems to me that you may be the one that has it wrong!

the way it "sounds" to you or me doesn't really matter.

What does matter is that illegal drugs and commercial flying don't mix, it does not matter whether you associate with the elements that consume them and may get tainted by mistake, transport them for personal gain or use them yourself.

What does also not matter is that normally you may not get tested during a regular medical to get or renew a Licence, however, it may be quite another story if you try to get employed by a commercial Air carrier.

In my opinion it is you that has it backwards, if the scenario goes as you think
it is wrong to advice 187nj not to worry. A little worry and anxiety now may well save his/her flying career!

Whirly; I have had to deal with many of the negative results of illegal drug use in my Life, I could never advice anyone not to worry about anything in connection with illegal drugs!

fluf

[gingernut]

Ok chaps handbags away now. Sounds like you've both offered sensible advise, is there any mileage in worrying this sensible chap any more:)

(Personal opinion-cannabis does seem to f8ck you up eventually, but so do a lot of things in life)

[SNS3Guppy]

Flying isn't about the monkey skills of manipulating the controls to make the airplane stay in the air. It's about judgement.

Good judgement would have been to identify a place in which illegal psychotropic drugs were in use, and avoid it. Bad judgement would be to hang around breathing marajuana smoke, and after several hours decide maybe it's not such a good idea.

Now is a good time to start working on that judgement. Stop hanging out with folks who are smoking weed, start thinking a little faster (three hours is a long time to have it dawn on you). It's about judgement. Use some.

[Newforest]

From his personal remarks to me, he will be needing judgements and improvements in other areas as well.:ugh:

[187nj]

Guys,

thank you all for the help.

Newforest comment a bit weird but nevermind!

Cheers,

187.

[Wader2]

Salusa.

Why do you advise shaving all my hair off?

Visible hair is dead.

As it grew it would contain evidence of canabis use. As it gets longer the evidence grows up as the hair grows. Cut it off and you remove the evidence.

At least that is the rumour I heard.:}

[187nj]

Interesting advice!!

Cheers dudes.

[Aaron G String]

This got me thinking. What are the rules for Dutch pilots on using Cannabis? Anyone know what the Ops Manuals say?

FWIW, my company Ops Manual forbids any use of drugs (other than prescription).

[Shunter]

Does that include tobacco and nicotine? They're still drugs, albeit legal ones. Sounds like a rather vague ops manual...

[Aaron G String]

No, my company's ops manual is just trying to get at illegal drugs. Basically, they are not tolerated.

Tobacco/nicotine doesn't have its own section in the ops manual, but alcohol does (and it's quite restrictive).

[187nj]

Hi All.

Does anyone know if the US test for Cannibis use? If you pass the Class 2 with no problems in the UK are flight training schools in the US likely to test for cannibis? Do they even get you in for a medical over there when you arrive for training?

187.

[obgraham]

You've brought this up enough times, 187, and had it answered seven ways to Tuesday.

I suggest to you that cannabis use and a flying career are mutually exclusive. Pick which you prefer, and forget the other.

[Oh that's super!]

Well said Obgraham.

If 187nj does not have enough self-discipline to give up cannabis use, he should not be a pilot of any form, in my opinion. Flying and drug use (illicit drugs as well as many other legal drugs) simply don't mix.