MEPS Drug and Alcohol Testing 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under DoD Instruction 1010.1, what is the military's official policy toward illegal drug use?
- Zero tolerance — any confirmed illegal drug use is grounds for separation or disqualification (Correct answer)
- Tolerance for marijuana in states where it is recreationally legal
- One-time waivers are automatically granted for first-time offenders
- Drug use is only disqualifying if it results in a criminal conviction
Correct answer: Zero tolerance — any confirmed illegal drug use is grounds for separation or disqualification
DoD Instruction 1010.1 establishes a zero-tolerance policy: illegal drug use is incompatible with military service and grounds for disqualification or separation.
Question 2: What role does the Designated Employer Representative (DER) play in the MEPS drug testing process?
- Performs laboratory analysis of urine samples
- Receives MRO-verified results and makes employment/service eligibility decisions (Correct answer)
- Observes specimen collection to ensure compliance
- Reviews applicants' medical histories for drug-related conditions
Correct answer: Receives MRO-verified results and makes employment/service eligibility decisions
The DER is the official who receives verified test results from the MRO and takes appropriate action regarding the individual's eligibility to serve.
Question 3: Which of the following is a valid medical explanation that an MRO might accept for a positive opiate result?
- Eating poppy seed bagels within 24 hours
- A confirmed prescription for codeine-based cough syrup taken as directed (Correct answer)
- Taking a friend's leftover pain medication once
- Using herbal supplements labeled 'natural'
Correct answer: A confirmed prescription for codeine-based cough syrup taken as directed
A valid, current prescription for a codeine-based medication is a legitimate medical explanation an MRO would verify and use to report the result as negative.
Question 4: What happens to an applicant's MEPS drug test results if they enlist and later test positive during active duty random testing?
- The MEPS results are irrelevant to active duty testing
- Prior MEPS results can be reviewed as part of a pattern of drug use in separation proceedings (Correct answer)
- Active duty positive tests automatically erase the MEPS record
- Only the most recent test is considered under military law
Correct answer: Prior MEPS results can be reviewed as part of a pattern of drug use in separation proceedings
Military administrative separation or court-martial proceedings can consider prior drug test history, including MEPS results, to establish a pattern of drug use.
Question 5: CBD (cannabidiol) products present a risk at MEPS drug testing primarily because:
- CBD is itself a prohibited substance on the MEPS panel
- Some CBD products contain enough THC to produce a positive marijuana test (Correct answer)
- CBD is chemically identical to THC
- MEPS tests specifically for CBD metabolites
Correct answer: Some CBD products contain enough THC to produce a positive marijuana test
Unregulated CBD products may contain more THC than their labels indicate, and regular use can cause THC metabolites to accumulate above the testing cutoff threshold.
Question 6: Which of the following is the correct cutoff concentration for a confirmed positive marijuana (THC-COOH) urine test under federal guidelines?
- 5 ng/mL
- 15 ng/mL
- 50 ng/mL initial screen / 15 ng/mL confirmation (Correct answer)
- 100 ng/mL initial screen / 50 ng/mL confirmation
Correct answer: 50 ng/mL initial screen / 15 ng/mL confirmation
Federal guidelines set the initial immunoassay screening cutoff at 50 ng/mL and the confirmatory GC-MS cutoff at 15 ng/mL for THC-COOH.
Question 7: If an applicant fails the MEPS drug test, who is the first official notified of the confirmed positive result?
- The applicant's parents or guardians
- The applicant's recruiter
- The Medical Review Officer (MRO), who then notifies the DER (Correct answer)
- The military judge advocate general (JAG)
Correct answer: The Medical Review Officer (MRO), who then notifies the DER
The MRO receives the laboratory result first, conducts the donor interview process, verifies or negates the result, and then reports the final determination to the DER.
MEPS Drug and Alcohol Testing 5
Under DoD Instruction 1010.1, what is the military's official policy toward illegal drug use?