According to Healthline, you’re very limited in your options to metabolize weed out of your system at a faster rate. Exercising, although not right before a test, healthy eating and hydration can all help, but they won’t substantially change your THC levels. As of Nov. 2023, 24 of the 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana, with the other 26 range from mixed legality to full illegality. States like Idaho, Wyoming and South Carolina keep weed fully illegal, with criminal charges and zero medicinal use. California, New York and Michigan have completely legalized cannabis, along with decriminalizing it and enabling medicinal use. Drinking sufficient amounts of water may also help to remove THC metabolites through urine and bowel movements.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical in weed that gives users the high that has made it popular. How long tests can detect weed is dependent upon how long it takes for your THC to metabolize, says Medical News Today. Medical News Today says first-time smokers may have cannabis detected for “about 3 days,” while more consistent smokers at three to four times per week can have it detected for “5-7 days” afterward. Daily smokers can expect tests to detect weed for at least 30 days.
Many people attempting to fool test results frequently increase the amount of water they drink in order to “flush out” THC. The reasoning behind this approach is that over-hydrating oneself decreases the concentration of THC metabolites in the urine, thus decreasing the chance of a positive result. Individuals using this over-hydration method also often take a vitamin B-12 supplement to turn their urine more yellow, making it appear less dilute. When cannabis is ingested, on the other hand, the THC enters the bloodstream through the intestinal walls, is sent to and processed by the liver, and only then can it go to the brain, where it causes the high. The psychoactive effects of edibles also tend to be felt more intensely due to the production of 11-hydroxy-THC (the active metabolite of THC). Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the most notable of the active chemicals found in cannabis that is responsible for the plant’s well-known psychoactive effects, is fat soluble.
The main purpose of this method is to clear the metabolites from hair. The process requires opening up the hair cuticles to expose the middle part of the hair follicle where metabolites are stored. The Macujo Method is considered 90% effective to pass a drug test but can be pretty costly. Urine and hair samples may show evidence of cannabis use several months after the fact. Saliva tests can detect THC metabolites for one to three days after consumption or a month if you consume regularly.
How long does it take to pass a drug test?
How long weed — or the presence of THC metabolites — is detectable depends on the type of drug test administered. It’s also affected by your unique physical functions and frequency of consumption. Drug tests can detect relatively small quantities of ecstasy detox symptoms timeline medications and treatment THC, and the amount of THC in a given cannabis cigarette varies. However, little research has examined how much a person must smoke to fail a drug test. Once the THC metabolites are stored in your hair, they will stay there until you cut your hair.
- Many who are facing a drug test but are unwilling to fully give up cannabis turn to synthetic cannabinoids in the hopes of cheating traditional tests.
- Without sensitive laboratory equipment, a person cannot reliably determine the strength of their cannabis.
- The most common cutoff for most marijuana urine tests is 50 ng/mL, but cutoffs can be as low as 15ng/mL and as high as 100ng/mL—each of which result in widely different detection windows.
- Only urine tests designed to detect THC metabolites will show cannabis use.
About 40 to 50 million drug tests are conducted by employers each year, which analyze biological material including urine, hair, blood, saliva, breath, sweat, and even fingernails. When cannabis is consumed, THC levels temporarily rise in the body, which are detectable in blood tests from several hours up to a day after one usage. Although these levels drop significantly after a few days, there are other means of determining recent usage.
Types of weed drug tests
A community connecting cannabis consumers, patients, retailers, doctors, and brands since 2008. This article has been reviewed by Bonni Goldstein, MD, a physician specializing in cannabis medicine in Los Angeles, California, owner and medical director of CannaCenters, and medical advisor to Weedmaps.com. In a 2004 review published in Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, the plasma concentration of THC peaks just three to eight minutes after inhalation and then decreases quickly with a half-life of about 30 minutes.
In a 2009 study published in Addiction, researchers monitored cannabinoid concentrations in the blood of 25 frequent cannabis consumers. During seven days of abstinence from cannabis, nine subjects, or 36%, had no measurable THC in their system, while the other 16 still had at least one positive THC test over the same timeframe. After the weeklong period ended, six subjects still had detectable THC concentrations, and all subjects had measurable levels of the metabolite THC-COOH. After THC is consumed, it is quickly broken down by the body and turned into molecules called metabolites. Once a specific test is selected, the experimenter must then choose its sensitivity, or the cutoff concentration of THC-COOH above which a test is considered positive.
In rare cases, high doses of weed can cause hallucinations, delusions, and acute psychosis.
What are the treatments options for marijuana abuse and addiction?
Once the THC is in the hair, it will likely be detectable for years. In fact, hair preserves drug residues so well that scientists can even find evidence of cocaine use in the hair of a 900 year old mummy.9 But, fear not–that is not the normal detection window. Hair follicle drug tests can assess previous drug rash and eruption drug use for up to 90 days, because as standard they only test the newest 3.9cm of hair. Since human hair usually grows 1.5gm each month, the detection window is estimated to be about 3 months. The tests are often geared for detecting a level of cannabis use equivalent to 1 or 2 joints per month.
There isn’t much you can do to speed up the amount of time it takes for THC metabolites to leave your system. A number of factors affect how long cannabis metabolites stay in your system. It has more than 100 metabolites, but the most significant ones are 11-OH-THC (11-hydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and THCCOOH (11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). 3 ways to pass a urine drug test Since hair grows approximately 0.5 inches per month, a 1.5-inch hair segment taken close to the scalp can provide a timeline of cannabis use over the past 3 months. In jurisdictions where cannabis is illegal, oral fluid may be used for roadside testing. The wide ranges presented are because there are numerous factors that determine how long THC stays in your system.
For instance, when cannabis is vaped or smoked, it’s quickly absorbed by the lungs and there is a sharp increase of THC in the bloodstream within minutes. For those who are able to quit, one common technique is to flush out your system by drinking a lot of water. This can be a good approach, as dehydration will increase the concentration of your urine and could increase your chances for a positive result. If your urine is diluted too much, however, it will automatically invalidate the results and you will have to repeat the test. Many who are facing a drug test but are unwilling to fully give up cannabis turn to synthetic cannabinoids in the hopes of cheating traditional tests.
More potent cannabis, which is higher in THC, may also stay in your system for longer. One of the most abundant components in cannabis is a chemical substance called THC, which stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Although medications may not be effective in treating addictions, some antidepressant medications help manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapses.
Edibles won’t usually last in your system if you use marijuana once in a while. But you should still stay away from edibles between one and three days from your test. THC and its metabolites may stay in your system anywhere from several days to several months after you last use cannabis. Researchers don’t know how long the effects of chronic cannabis use last.
The body processes THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the intoxicating cannabinoid known for creating euphoric, stoned effects in several ways, and is dependent on the method of consumption. When we consume cannabis, its cannabinoids and other byproducts remain detectable in our bodies well after the buzz wears off. There is no way to accurately predict how long it will take an individual to metabolize cannabis and eliminate it from their bodies.
Getting plenty of sleep can also help to avoid any decreases in metabolism. Without sensitive laboratory equipment, a person cannot reliably determine the strength of their cannabis. Much of the THC in marijuana is processed by your liver, so boosting your metabolism can help your liver clear THC from your system faster. Exercising and having good hydration are two ways to boost metabolism. These kits don’t work reliably, and drinking large quantities of water in a short period of time can be fatal. Many require drinking a lot of water to dilute your urine, and then using herbal supplements such as creatinine or vitamin B12 to mask the dilution.