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CBD is short for cannabidiol. It is also known as cannabis or hemp as it is found in hemp plants. Over the recent few years, CBD and its infused products have grown popular as a natural supplement due to its many therapeutic benefits.
Some of its benefits include anxiety relief (as it has calming properties), anti-inflammatory, pain relief, less acne, and neurological benefits, which result in a balanced everyday living for people. Recent research studies have introduced CBD in our life and shown that can be used to treat cancer.
CBD products with trace amounts (less than 0.3 %) of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are legal on a federal level. Still, it is possible to be detected during drug testing or screening. Some companies or employers conduct regular drug testing of their employees. So, if you take CBD supplements and get yourself drug tested, there is a fair chance that the amount of THC will be detected and might land you in trouble.
Thus, it is crucial to know how long CBD can stay in your system to be alert if you are subject to regular drug screening for employment purposes or being on parole.
Factors Affecting How Long Can CBD Stay in the System
THC affects your system in a wide range of ways but not CBD. Since CBD doesn’t contain high amounts of THC, it doesn’t mean that you are high or experience an episode of euphoria.
There is no particular answer to how long CBD stays in a human body system as many factors influence it. Some of them are:
1. Physical characteristics of the body and genetics
These include your metabolism, water content in the body, age and weight. CBD compound is fat-soluble; it will store in fat cells instead of water cells when taken. Body Mass Index (BMI) is known to influence metabolism rapidly. Hence, the more the weight of your body, the more time CBD will take to leave your body. Also, young people tend to have a high metabolic rate, which results in quicker excretion of CBD from the body than older people.
2. Food in the system
If you ingest CBD on an empty stomach, it will tend to get metabolised and excreted quicker than taking it after a full meal, as the food present will slow down the digestion process.
3. Amount/Dosage
This is an important factor as the dosage of CBD highly influences how long it can stay in the body. The higher the amount taken, the longer it will remain in the system.
4. Frequency of Use
If you use CBD once in a while, it can quickly leave your system. But if you use CBD at a high frequency, it will result in CBD building up in your system over time.
5. Administration or method of intake in the body
Your method of administering CBD in your body can affect how it will affect you, that is, the immediate effects as well as the time for which it will stay in your system.
Some methods of intake are:
- Vape
- Dietary supplements (Pills and Capsules)
- Edibles
- Oils and Tinctures
- Dried flower
Vaping or smoking dried flowers can cause effects very quickly as CBD can enter your bloodstream in a matter of seconds with such methods and hence, affect your brain quickly.
Taking dietary supplements and edibles containing CBD do not produce immediate effects. It usually takes an hour for them to kick into your system.
But the question still remains how long CBD stays in your system. Based on the above factors, its effects last a few hours, whereas it can remain in the body for about two weeks.
How Long Can CBD Stay in Your System?
Drug testing or screening can be performed in a variety of ways, and hence, you must understand how long can CBD be detected through samples from various parts of the body.
1. Urine
Drug testing through urine is the most common method in recent times. The dosage and frequency of intake highly influence detection through urine. The amount of THC can be detectable even after two weeks of intake if you are a daily or a frequent user. Therefore, if you are subject to routine drug screenings, avoid administering CBD regularly.
2. Hair
Though this method is not standard and hence not widely used, hairs can be the medium to detect drugs even after long periods. Hair tests are known to detect the THC amounts in CBD for three months duration after intake or administration.
3. Blood
Blood tests are not preferred to urine tests to detect THC as THC is known to be eliminated from the bloodstream rapidly. Hence, blood tests are a unique method for testing CBD or supplements. Usually, THC can be detected only up to a few hours in your bloodstream or plasma and THC through CBD can be present in trace amounts up to a week.
4. Saliva
This type of screening is uncommon and rare and thus, not used for regular testing in companies. Like hair, the detection rate is highly influenced by the dosage and frequency of use of CBD. Drugs like THC in CBD are known to be detected in a matter of minutes up to 36 hours after its administration or intake, also depending on other factors mentioned above. Frequent use of CBD can result in extended periods of detection.
Prevention of Failure in a Drug Test Due to CBD
CBD usually won’t show up in a drug screening, but CBD supplements with THC can be detected based on their composition and quality. THC is present in trace amounts in CBD; administering high doses can detect THC and land you in trouble as THC is illegal above a certain amount.
Therefore, it is advisable to use CBD products that are THC free or administer Broad Spectrum CBD, which is processed to eliminate THC.
Full-spectrum CBD products are extracted naturally and contain THC, resulting in a positive drug test.
Some trustworthy CBD products brands are Blessed CBD, Elixinol and Vibes CBD.
