CBD, as a supplement, has gained massive popularity over the past few years. Thanks to its numerous health benefits! This plant-based compound has been used as an alternative to help treat several health conditions. The first use of CBD was for treating seizures. These days, people use it for pain relief, alleviating inflammation, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, skin conditions, and many more. Since most CBD products contain a trace amount of THC, it is possible that it can be detectable in drug tests. However, most CBD users are concerned about the lifetime of cannabidiol in their bodies. So, how long does CBD stay in your system? There is no simple answer to this question. Let’s explore and see how it works.
According to research, the common drug tests can not tell the difference between CBD and THC.
Well, it’s a worrisome situation for CBD users, especially if you are seeking jobs or need to undergo drug screenings. CBD and THC, both are phytocannabinoids, have a similar molecular structure, and come from the Cannabis Sativa plant. Due to this close connection between them, people often think that CBD and THC are the same. But it is an absolute misconception. While CBD does not carry any psychoactive components, THC causes mind-altering effects. Besides, CBD and THC affect the endocannabinoid system in different ways. Furthermore, your body processes these two cannabinoids in discrete manners.
According to research, in marijuana users, “typically, THC is detectable for up to 90 days in hair, anywhere between 3 days to a month or longer in urine (depending on how often the person uses), up to 48 hours in saliva, and up to 36 hours in blood.”
How long CBD remains detectable in your system depends on several factors. Besides, the lifetime of CBD in the human body may vary in different individuals. Also, these factors are responsible for how CBD will affect you. Therefore, how long CBD lasts in the body is not equal for all users. It may depend on:
CBD is not soluble in water, which means it is a fat-soluble compound. Therefore, your body will store this cannabinoid in its fat cells. Furthermore, your BMI or body mass index influences how fast your body will metabolize it. So, if you have a higher BMI, the possibility is that CBD will take longer to leave your system.
Your mode of ingestion can influence the lifetime of CBD in your system. However, the most popular CBD administration methods are:
If you use CBD vape, the CBD reaches your bloodstream almost instantly. As a result, vaping CBD offers the quickest effect. On the other hand, if you take edibles or ingest them, CBD has to pass through the digestive tract and takes much longer to work. In that case, your metabolism and biochemistry may influence how CBD will affect you and to what extent you will feel the effects. Regardless of the administration method you choose, the effect of CBD may last for two to three hours. So, does the duration affect how long CBD stays in your system?
If you are not feeling the effects of CBD does not necessarily mean that it is no longer detectable in your system. The average half-life of CBD can be between eighteen to thirty hours after ingestion. However, it can still be traceable in lab tests even after that duration.
Drug tests mostly look for THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol is the major mind-altering compound in marijuana. However, CBD contains a trace amount of this psychoactive cannabinoid. If you have taken CBD and passed a drug test, it does not mean that you do not have THC in your system. It can be you have an amount of THC in your system that is below the detection level.
The cut-off levels in drug tests vary. Legal CBD products contain a THC level lower than 0.3%. However, some drug screenings are more effective at recognizing THC. Also, these tests can detect THC for longer periods. The type of drug test you are taking and the last time you took CBD can influence whether it is detectable in your body or not.
It is necessary to know that the CBD market is not well regulated by the FDA. Furthermore, you may be taking a substandard product that contains a higher amount of different cannabinoids, such as THC. It can increase the probability of detectability. Moreover, with the increased frequency of ingesting CBD, you are widening the detection windows.
The most common method of drug screening is urine tests. However, the cut-off levels for THC in urine tests may vary. Mostly, it depends on potency, dosage, and how frequently you have used CBD. Generally, THC metabolites can be detectable in urine tests anywhere between three to fourteen days after the last ingestion.
According to research by Mayo Clinic, for infrequent users, THC content can be detectable for about fifteen days after consumption. However, they further stated that it varies depending on the dosage taken.
Hair tests are done for detecting drugs for an elongated time. Usually, hair follicle tests can detect THC in CBD for as long as 90 days after administration. However, hair tests are not widely used to detect THC or CBD.
Similar to hair tests, saliva tests for tracing THC are not often done. In saliva tests, THC can be detected within minutes after ingestion and can remain detectable for up to 35 hours. For saliva tests, the detectability of THC and CBD in your system can be influenced by the dosage, potency, and frequency of ingestion.
So, how long does CBD stay in your system? Hope you have got your answer. However, it’s worth noting that how long CBD lasts in the human body depends on a multitude of factors. Your height, weight, BMI, metabolism, biochemistry, and many more play a vital role in this matter. If you want to avoid getting caught in a drug test, be cautious with the CBD product you are taking. In this case, you have to consider several aspects, such as the quality of your product, the dosage you are taking, frequency of ingestion, etc. Although drug tests do not look for cannabidiol, they can not understand the difference between CBD and THC.