Millions of employees in all sorts of industries are encountering a new question when it comes to drug testing in their workplace. Can CBD show up in a drug test?
Media and experts report that people who used a lot of CBD for different health conditions may accidentally fail drug tests. In the most common drug tests including urine tests employers are not looking for CBD. Because it does not impair motor skills or judgement.
Some may fail if their CBD products contain THC. THC, also known as tetrahydrocannabinol is a psychoactive compound which is one of the hundred cannabinoids found in cannabis plant. Many workers fail tests because of using products that contain THC more than 0.3%.
Depending on the market, a product label can misstate the amount of THC in it. State licensed adult use and medical cannabis stores are safe since they are regulated and tested in third party laboratories. But outside the market the quality of CBD products may vary.
If you consume a higher amount (1000mg) of CBD daily the residual THC can put you in the danger zone.
You will not fail a drug test for CBD but you may fail for any residual THC in that CBD products you are consuming.
Cannabis plants produce both the CBD and THC which is a psychoactive compound. Medical cannabis and industrial hemp both come from the same species of cannabis plants.
So federally legal CBD may contain a trace amount of THC in it. 0.3% THC or less than that is thought to be legal in the industry. Consequently, if you are consuming a very high dose of CBD daily you may be consuming a little THC with it.
As we have mentioned earlier, CBD does not show up on drug tests. Even those who operate the tests do not look for CBD. Most of the cases, THC causes the tests to fail.
A pure CBD isolate should not contain any THC. By Law, the federally legal amount of THC in CBD products is maximum 0.3%. However these products are made from industrial hemp and sometimes the amount of THC may vary.
Unfortunately THC might stay in your system longer than you can imagine. For instance, If someone smokes THC regularly may fail drug tests even a month after stopping. THC is stored in the fat and creates THC-COOH.
You won’t get drug tested for CBD. In tests experts look for the existence of THC. If you are using CBD and still confused about it we recommend you stop using CBD immediately. You can drink loads of water and exercise for detoxification. Furthermore, this will help you release the THC that is already in your system.
The effects of CBD last for 90 min to several days. It depends on how it is consumed. Your body converts CBD into CBD-COOH and then it stays in your system for several days. It is not going to get you busted since employers do not test for CBD-COOH.
Mouth swabs are not looking for CBD. They are checking for THC. As a result CBD won’t show up in a mouth swab test at your workplace.
Standar workplace hair follicle tests look for THC-COOH. They do not look for CBD. As a result CBD will not show up in hair follicle tests. Any CBD product you consumed that had a trace amount of THC may leave tetrahydrocannabinol byproducts in the hair follicle.
You might have read rumors that CBD can turn into THC in the stomach. But that is very unlikely to happen.
After all, usually CBD does not show up in drug tests. People test for THC. If you are taking CBD isolate products, you are safe. Buying products from illicit markets can be dangerous. Your product may be mislabeled or may not contain the right amount of CBD that is promised. On the other hand, cheap products may contain contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins. Make sure you buy from a reputable company.
Related: Aaron Bouren, co-founder of CBD Hemp Experts shared his thoughts about the future of CBD as an industry on his blog.