CANNABIS IN THE BLOOD AND URINE - HOW LONG WILL THE DRUG TEST BE POSITIVE?

29. 05. 2023

• The most common test for cannabis in the body is a urine test

• The detection time is highly variable

• The metabolism of each individual is different

Tests for the presence of drugs in the body are quite possibly inevitably part of our society. Whether you are a student or an employee, for example, if you dislike your teacher or supervisor while running cannabis self-medication or simply take cannabis for recreation, your supervisor may require you to be tested for drugs at any time.

What now? You try to remember the last time you used cannabis and how long it probably stays in your system. Two weeks? Three? Popular knowledge usually speaks of about 30 days . However, the real answer is not so simple , especially due to the many types of tests used, which have different levels of sensitivity and accuracy of detection.

In addition, if we take into account the fact that the metabolism works at least a little differently for each individual and that we also differ in the type and level of consumption of medical cannabis, the whole matter is further confused.

"There is no definitive detection time," said Ryan Vandrey, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "The time of possible drug detection in the human system is highly different for most individuals, mainly due to the different frequency of use and the volume of substances used. Simply put, there is no way to determine with absolute certainty how long your test will be negative."

Drug tests - how do they work?

Nowadays, "testers" have a whole arsenal of detectors at their disposal - they are therefore able to determine the presence of narcotics in urine, blood, saliva, breath or even in your nails .

After cannabis administration, the level of THC in the blood inevitably increases, which is then detectable from a few hours to several days. Even though the level of THC in your blood drops below a detectable level after a few days, there are still plenty of ways to prove that you have used cannabis.

THC, CBD and others are by-products of metabolism, specifically lipid metabolites - they are stored in the fat stores of the human body. These molecules are then gradually released back into the circulation and burned, thus the whole process of "purification" takes much longer than for other substances , especially for long-term users.

Cannabis remains absolutely longest in hair , in which a non-psychoactive THC metabolite called 11-nor-delta9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH) settles after consumption, which can be detected up to 90 days after cannabis application.

Although there are many different ways to detect the presence of cannabis metabolites, the urine test clearly wins . However, like the hair test, the urine test does not detect the current THC content, but only the THC-COOH metabolite .

How long does marijuana stay in the body?

As we mentioned at the beginning, each of us has a metabolism working on a different "frequency", which further complicates the whole matter . Even for people of the same age and sex, the differences are considerable - it depends mainly on lifestyle and diet (people with a higher fat supply get rid of cannabinoids more slowly).

It is therefore almost impossible to determine exactly how long the cannabis remains will expire from the human body . However, for those who inevitably have a test for cannabis use waiting here, we have at least a few basic, scientifically based indicators.

For example, according to a study by Paul Cary, head of the Toxicology and Drug Monitoring Laboratory at the University of Missouri, the detection time rarely exceeds the classical 30-day limit. Furthermore, one of the older studies from 1989 showed a limit of detection of a maximum of 25 days (the sensitivity level of the tests used was 20 ng / ml). In addition, only one of the test subjects in this study tested positive after more than 14 days. On average, after 9.8 days, the level of cannabinoids fell below a detectable level.

Everyday X Occasional use

Professor Paul Cary deduces the following from these statistics:

"Of course, it is necessary to take into account the frequency of use and consumption of the individual. Overall, however, it is clear that in most cases a shorter time interval can be expected . In the case of chronic users, the test sensitivity of 50 ng / ml is rarely exceeded 10 days "If the sensitivity is reduced to 20 ng / ml, we can expect a maximum limit of 21 days, more are the exceptions. In the case of occasional users, then it is rare to exceed the limit of 3-4 days for a negative test."

Furthermore, it should be noted that by comparing chronic and occasional types of users, we compare opposite ends of the spectrum . So most regular cannabis users fall roughly in the middle.

"I think these inferences make sense. When it comes to just one isolated use or a really occasional application, we can count on a maximum limit of 72 hours. For chronic users, however, it is necessary to count on 7 to 10 days." says Ron Flegel, head of one of the SAMHSA ( Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration ) programs .

What can affect the result of a drug test?

Flegel also mentions frequent cases of individuals who fluctuate between positive and negative test results.

"People often call us and ask how it is possible that they had a negative test result recently and suddenly test positive even though they have not used cannabis since then. This phenomenon is mainly due to physical activity - the body dehydrates, which causes higher urine concentrations and in particular the burning of fat reserves, from which the remnants of THC are also released . Thus, one test result may be negative and the next day, for example after training, may be positive again. "

Positive test for drugs and consumption of pure CBD

What to expect from a drug test if you only apply non-psychoactive, therapeutic CBD? How long does it stay in your system and is it detectable by routine tests at all?

If you really consume only CBD, you don't have to worry about a positive test result at all: routine urine tests are only set to detect THC.

Only patients who administer really large doses of CBD (1000 - 2000 mg per day) are at some risk - CBD oils contain trace amounts of THC . Theoretically, it could happen that the result of the initial test would be positive. However, in the case of the following, more thorough test for THC-COOH, the result would no longer be positive.

How to "cleanse" THC faster?

If you want to get rid of residual cannabis particles as soon as possible, you must first stop using cannabis . The next step is continuous, sufficient hydration - the more fluids you get into the body, the less your urine will be concentrated and thus your chances of a positive test result will be reduced . However, beware of excessive hydration - if your urine is diluted above an acceptable level, you may need to take the test again.

Another, and probably even more effective, tactic for quick cleansing is to limit the intake of high-calorie foods and implement regular, sufficiently demanding exercise . As we have already mentioned, cannabinoids are stored in the fat stores of the human body. By exercising and reducing calories, you will speed up fat burning and thus get rid of residual cannabis particles.

Keep in mind, however, that if you start exercising and burning fat out of nowhere, the primary effect will be a temporary increase in urinary THC levels. It is therefore necessary in any case to allow the body sufficient time for cleansing.