How long does THC last in your body?
Cannabis is an amazing herb that not only helps you in a recreational manner but medicinally as well. We all enjoy blunts and joints, and everything seems awesome...until you have to go to that dreaded drug test. Then, suddenly it all looks gloomy. Drug tests are common everywhere and although cannabis is legal in many areas, the very mention of a test makes some people panic.
If you want to enjoy cannabis without a worry in the world, you’ll naturally want to know “how long does THC last in your body?” It’s a question asked by many, but very few have answers. Firstly, the amount of time marijuana lasts in any individual’s body depends on the individual himself.
For instance, you may get rid of it quickly compared to someone who smokes it every single day. Obviously, heavy usage matters and those that use it frequently will have a tougher time flushing THC out of their system.
Also, THC tends to build up more in your system as you continue to smoke or ingest marijuana. It accumulates and blends with fat stores as time goes by. Depending on your body’s metabolism, THC will exit sooner or later. Sure, there are many other factors involved, and that’s exactly what we will highlight in this article.
Types of tests to detect THC
If you’ve ever taken a drug test, you will know that there are several ways to figure out if there’s any THC in your system. Drug tests measure or detect THC not only by the main product but the by-products are also considered. Now, the biggest challenge is that these by-products tend to stay in the system even after marijuana’s effects are long gone.
Here are a few types of tests conducted to measure THC
Saliva
There are many types of saliva tests done for detecting THC. Employers can choose among any of them. And now that technology is so advanced, saliva tests meant to particularly detect molecules of THC found especially in the mouth are really useful. However, the results will be positive only if you’ve smoked a joint a few hours ago.
Other types of saliva test detect THC in users that have indulged in marijuana even if it was a month ago. While occasional users don’t have to worry a lot, chronic users have something to worry about.
You have to remember that cannabis can enter salivary glands if you’re exposed to the smoke or of you smoke a joint yourself. As soon as the glands ingest cannabis, it will show up in tests. From cops to employers, saliva tests are pretty common now.
Urine
Urine tests – like saliva tests – also depend on how long you’ve been using marijuana. If you’re an occasional user, there isn’t much to worried about. For instance, if you have an interview or a drug test in a week, you can stop ingesting cannabis right away so that your urine doesn’t show any traces.
But, for chronic users, urine tests will detect THC even if they have smoked marijuana a month ago. By occasional users, we are talking about people that consume or smoke cannabis about once or twice a week. The THC will be out of your system in just 3-4 days.
Moderate users indulging in cannabis about 4-5 times a week will obviously have more THC in their urine. In such cases, it will take at least 7-10 days for the THC to exit your system. You’re considered a c_hronic user if you smoke every single day and it will take at least a fortnight for you to get rid of THC. And, if you’re ingesting cannabis multiple times in a day and abuse it every day, you may need more than a month for the THC to leave the bloodstream.
Urine tests are conducted in various ways. While some employers use strips that are dipped in urine to detect THC, others may collect your sample and send them to the lab. Depending on your weight and the amount of THC present in the bloodstream, the results may be positive or negative. Urine tests are most common compared to other types of tests.
Blood
Although blood tests aren’t as common as urine tests, some employers may rely on it. Again, the results may vary from one individual to another. The thing will blood tests, though, is that they are not as reliable as urine tests.
Blood tests are considered invasive and that’s also why you won’t see many employers using it. THC is unpredictable and can remain or exit the bloodstream depending on your lifestyle. Some metabolites of cannabis can remain in the bloodstream for more than a month at times.
For occasional users, blood tests aren’t really a cause of concern since it only takes 3-4 days for the THC to exit the bloodstream. Compared to blood tests, urine tests are more reliable. Thus, you’ll see many institutions and employers insisting on urine tests rather than blood tests.
So, what happens when you smoke cannabis? Well, the THC enters the bloodstream in a matter of seconds. For heavy users, you’ll see traces of THC in the blood for more than 30 days. However, there may be no THC at all even if you use cannabis for 4-5 times a week. This is because the THC can dissolve in the fat tissues and be eliminated without a trace. Also, THC exits the system when you indulge in a workout or if you simply sweat. Thus, blood tests aren’t very reliable. Moreover, it is expensive compared to other tests, so it doesn’t make sense for employers to use blood tests.
Hair tests
Compared to saliva, blood and urine tests, hair tests detect THC even if you’ve smoked a joint 90 days ago! Hair follicle tests are used to detect many other medications and drugs. Employers rarely ask for hair tests, but in case they do insist on it, you’ll have to give them your hair samples and the results will be known in just a day.
For this test, a collector will remove at least 100 hairs from the crown of your head. If you’re bald or have shaved your head, they will take samples of your body hair instead. Once you smoke or ingest cannabis, THC can enter the hair follicles easily. It will remain in the follicles for at more than 90 days even as your hair grows longer.
Whether you wash your hair using different shampoos or color your hair, hair testing will detect THC. Since there are kits available in local stores, your employer may use them. If you’re really worried about the test, you can order a kit yourself to understand whether the THC is present in your hair follicles.
No matter what test you’re asked to take, remember that it’s not only the THC but the metabolites that are actually detected. If you keep yourself fit and exercise a lot more, THC can sometimes exit your system, but it won’t happen very fast. Since urine tests are the most common, you can stay away from cannabis at least for 15 days to ensure that it doesn’t show up in tests.
Also, remember that the more potent your cannabis, the more the chances of THC showing up in tests. The good news is that there are many detox remedies available today, but make sure that you understand how they work because most of them aren’t approved by the FDA and are simply useless.
