Expert: MARK A. HOWELL - 4/17/2009

Question
Colonel,
My son recently informed me that he had made an appointment to see an OSO for the Marines and was intersted in the OCS program.  He will be graduating fom college next month.  

I was not very happy with his decision, but the commitment, dedication and passion I have seen in him the last several weeks have convinced me I should support his decision.

He has already taken the written test and passed, and has begun a very strict exercise program to make sure he will be ready,  but he was just infomed that his drug screening came back positive, which he denies as a possibility.  I know he has experimented with marijuana in the past, which is never a good idea; however, he has not done so in months.  He cannot believe this has happened and is looking for some recourse.  His OSO basically told him it was over and he would NEVER be eligible again.  I know that false positives occur, my question is why are they willing to turn away such a committed young man who has excellent references, good test scores and physically fit, if there is even the slightest possibility of error. It seems unfair. All he wants is another opportunity to take the urinalysis He feels like he was wronged and would just want the opportunity for another screening - "every day if they want to" is what he told me.  He plans to visit his OSO again, is this a waste of his time.  Will they truly never give him a chance. Could it  be that second hand marijuana smoke the weekend before the MEPS caused this result?  Anyway I know he really wants this and thought that I could inquire to someone else besides the OSO
Thank you for your guidance

Answer
Gail,
You mentioned he was working out hard.  Has he been taking
Ibuprofen like Motrin, Advil or Aleve?  That will relieve sore muscles but will most certainly cause a false positive for marijuana in a urinalysis.  It causes false positives for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.  Also, if he's trying to lose weight, many diet aids will also cause a false positive.  Marijuana usually leaves the system in a few days, but depending upon body weight it can often linger 4-5 weeks.

Please send me a follow-up marked "private" since his case is nobody else's business and I will help.
Colonel H