CBD has been popping up in conversations recently – more than ever before. Yet, since CBD oils contain trace amounts of other cannabinoids, including THC, there is still the chance that you might test positive for these drugs on a drug test.
This can be very troubling when trying to find employment or obliging to drug screenings of any kind (e.g., because one is on parole). CBD, despite being a natural supplement, doesn’t mean it will come out clean during said tests.
CBD has many methods of being ingested, which all affect the duration of time spent within your system. But let’s break it down step-by-step to figure out what happens when you consume CBD, so that we can determine how long each effect lasts.
What Happens To Your Body When You Consume CBD And What Determines How Long It’ll Stay There
There are a lot of factors that determine how long CBD stays in your system and affects you. These include:
- Your age, weight, genetics and metabolism
- How long ago you took it previously
- Frequency
- Dosage amount
CBD is fat-soluble, which means it’s absorbed into your body’s fat cells instead of being dispersed in the water content around your cells. So, if you are overweight or obese, then this will greatly influence how long it takes for CBD to be metabolized out of your system.
Popular methods and forms of intake include popular options such as:
- CBD Oils
- Edibles: CBD Capsules and CBD Gummies
- Dried flower
The effect of CBD-rich products usually happens as soon as they enter your system. However, if you take CBD-infused food or oil, it will take much longer to feel anything. These products tend to have lower concentrations of active ingredients (less than 50 milligrams) and affect people differently because metabolisms vary between individuals.
How Long Does CBD Stay In Lab Tests?
Just because you no longer feel the effects of CBD doesn’t mean it is no longer detectable. The drug has a surprisingly long half-life; but even then, it can show up on lab tests for days after taking it.
Most drug tests look for THC, which is the main substance found in marijuana. However, CBD also has tiny traces of THC but it does not produce a psychoactive effect like THC does.
If you’ve ever taken CBD before and passed a drug test, it might just mean that the amount of THC detected was too low to register. There are many different types of drug tests with various thresholds for success. For example, hemp products can legally contain up to 0.3% of THC under law.
Some drugs are more easily detected and for longer periods of time than others. The type of test you’re given – and how long after you last used CBD – can affect how detectable it is.
It is also worth noting that because CBD products are not regulated, it’s possible for you to take some of these products that may be mixed with other cannabinoids – which could affect how detectable they are. And lastly, it’s important to note that the more often you consume cannabis-based products, the longer the window of time becomes before marijuana can show up on a drug test.
How long does CBD remain in your urine?
Employers commonly use urine tests to screen for drugs. There is a wide range of detection windows for THC in urine tests.
Mostly it depends on how much you took and how often you used it. Typically, these metabolites appear on a urine test three to two weeks after the last time taken.
THC metabolites can be detected as long as 15 days after administration by frequent and daily users, according to the Mayo Clinic. These numbers, however, can also vary depending on the dosage, according to the research.
Does CBD stay in your hair for a long time?
Tests of the hair are known for their ability to detect drugs for a long period of time. As long as three months after administration, these tests can detect THC metabolites in CBD. But hair tests are very uncommon for both THC and CBD.
Can CBD stay in your blood for a long time?
While blood tests are not as common as urine tests for screening for CBD and cannabinoids, they can be used to detect THC metabolites. Due to how quickly THC is eliminated from your bloodstream, they are not the preferred method of drug screening.
It takes about five hours after taking THC for it to be detectable in your plasma. CBD can be present for up to a week, however, as a result of THC metabolites.
Can CBD stay in your saliva for a long time?
Tests for CBD or THC in saliva are extremely rare for employment or legal reasons, similar to hair tests. Depending on the dosage and frequency of use, the drug components could remain in your system for up to 36 hours after taking it.
There is a possibility that this test, along with others, may detect CBD for a longer period of time if you consume CBD in large amounts and on a regular basis.
