If you consume cannabis or other drugs either seldomly or frequently, it’s good to know how long it can stay detectable in your body. Even if you don’t feel high anymore, many drugs will still be detectable in your body afterward for a certain amount of time. If you’re in a career that requires you to take blood tests routinely, you might be interested in learning about the fundamentals of drug testing a little bit further. How long does PCP stay in your urine, and what are the other dynamics of cannabis drug testing?
The length of time a drug stays in your system can differ from one person to the next. It also depends on what kind of drug test is being used to detect the drug. Some drugs only stay in your system for a day, meanwhile, some can still remain detectable nearly three months after use.
Some drug tests that are administered are only able to detect a single drug in someone’s body, but the majority of drug tests will be able to detect many different drugs. A popular urine test that’s used is called the SAMHSA-5. This drug test is able to detect:
There are a number of different methods that can be used to detect cannabis in a person’s body. The drug tests being administered will accurately detect cannabis in your:
Urine
Hair
Blood
Saliva
Sweat
All of the drug tests used will each have their own method of detecting cannabis. The majority of the tests used don’t actually even test for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This might come as a surprise to you because THC is what produces the psychoactive effects, or the high. Drug tests will instead detect the metabolites that THC breaks down into.
What Period Of Time Does Cannabis Linger Around In Your Urine For?
If you’ve consumed cannabis recently, then there is a chance that you’ll test positive in a urine drug test for anywhere between three days to a month. There isn’t a black and white number that can be used because there are so many different things that it depends on.
The Mayo Clinic has a couple of different numbers on how long cannabis will stay in your system for after consumption:
After one use, it can stay in your body for up to 3 days.
After moderate use (consumption of around 4 times a week), it can stay detectable for up to 5 days.
After heavy use, it can stay detectable in your body for up to 10 days.
The two different kinds of tests used to detect cannabis are:
Immunoassay
Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry
Immunoassay is known to be more affordable and more widely used than the latter. On some occasions, each of these tests will be administered to individuals. The second one will be administered right after the first one in order to provide confirmation in the case that there is an error in the first test.
The most reliable way to test for cannabis use is the urine test. Urine tests are affordable and easier for individuals to take in comparison to the other options out there.
For an individual that’s being subject to a urine test, all they have to do is collect their urine in a cup, place the lid on it, and submit it for review. Many times, the drug test results will be available right away. Other times, the test needs to be sent out for review so that a full analysis can be written upon it.
What Length Of Time Does Cannabis Remain Detectable In Your Hair For?
The hair follicle test is known to be on the pricier side when it comes to cannabis drug testing. If you’ve consumed cannabis in the last three months, then there’s a good chance that the hair follicle test will be able to detect it. This is mainly due to the fact that metabolites from cannabis will remain on the hair.
When your hair grows, metabolites from cannabis will get stuck in the hair follicle. Because of that factor, cannabis use can remain detectable for up to three months. With a hair follicle test, around 100 hairs will be taken from the crown area of the scalp.
If the purpose of a drug test is to detect long-term, frequent cannabis use, hair follicle drug tests are very useful. If an individual only uses cannabis every now and then, then hair tests aren’t as useful. For the hair test to detect cannabis metabolite levels in the hair, the individual will have to be using cannabis on a pretty frequent basis.
What Length Of Time Can Cannabis Remain In Your Blood For?
Cannabis blood tests aren’t very popular in comparison to urine tests, but they do still exist. If you’ve consumed cannabis in the past couple of minutes and then take a blood test, it’ll pretty much show up in the blood test instantly. Blood testing for cannabis is more invasive than the other methods, and that’s one of the main reasons why it isn’t as widely used as other drug testing methods.
What Are Some Other Methods To Detect Cannabis In The Body?
There are a few other drug tests that can be administered for detecting cannabis in the body:
Saliva Test
Saliva tests are used to detect cannabis that has been consumed within the last 24 hours, so the window of detection isn’t very long at all. In addition, the results can be skewed if the individual happens to rinse their mouth with mouthwash or other kinds of mouth rinses that might have alcohol in them. Many individuals know that these mouth rinses are an easy way to get around the saliva drug test.
Sweat Patches For Cannabis Detection
A sweat test will consist of a sweat patch that’s applied to your skin. It will effectively be able to provide cannabis detection for up to two weeks. The way a sweat patch works is by detecting any metabolites that are lingering in someone’s blood.
There is a sweat patch that has received FDA approval and it will be situated on the skin for anywhere between three days to a week in time. Once that time has passed, the sweat patch will then be provided to a lab for analysis. A sweat patch will also be able to detect metabolites in the blood before it was even put on your skin. On some occasions, skin swabs are also used to detect cannabis in the body, but their efficacy isn’t completely relied upon.
Breathalyzer Testing
Currently, there is a bunch of research going on in order to create reliable breathalyzer tests that can be used to detect cannabis in your body. Once they are successfully developed, it’s assumed that police officers will be able to administer the breathalyzer test to see if someone is driving while high. Some early breathalyzer tests are able to detect cannabis use within two hours after someone has consumed cannabis. There is also other research being done to detect cannabis edible use through saliva drug tests.
Is There Cannabis Drug Testing For Pregnancy-Related Consumption?
It’s a known fact the women who are pregnant will consume cannabis more frequently than any of the other heavier drugs out there. There are some tests that can be done to figure out if a newborn has been exposed to cannabis.
If a medical professional might think that a pregnant woman is consuming cannabis, they might suggest that meconium testing should be conducted.
Meconium testing involves taking a sample of the stool of a newborn baby. Meconium starts to develop when a baby is still in a mother’s womb. This begins to occur anywhere between 12 to 16 weeks during pregnancy. Because of these timelines, meconium testing can be done anywhere between the fifth to sixth months of pregnancy.
If the meconium test comes back as positive, then there is a good chance that child protective services will be informed. There might be some more drug tests that will need to be conducted such as:
Blood tests
Hair tests
Urine tests
Tissue samples
What Are Some Of The Factors That Play A Role In Cannabis Detection?
There are a couple of different things that will cause cannabis to show up in a drug test. If an individual consumes cannabis heavily, then that will obviously play a large part in it showing up in a drug test. Heavy consumption might also cause it to show up for a longer period of time.
After cannabis use, it makes its way to fat cells within the body. Because of that factor, someone that has a higher body mass index (BMI) might have a different detection time than someone who has a lower BMI.
Another thing that plays a large part in how long cannabis can be detected is how much THC is in the particular strain of cannabis that the individual is using. Every strain of cannabis will have a different THC level. If someone is smoking a strain of cannabis that contains a very high level of THC, then that will have an effect on the detection levels in the body.
This then leads you to the fact that cannabis concentrates will also stay in the body longer because of their high THC levels. Some of the different cannabis concentrates with higher THC levels are:
Hash
Oil
Budder
Shatter
Wax
These concentrates are usually consumed through either dabbing or just vaping.
Does Your Metabolism Play A Part In Cannabis Detection Times?
Not everyone has the same metabolism. Your metabolism plays a large part in how fast it will flush cannabis through your system. If you have a high metabolic rate, then your body has the ability to metabolize cannabinoids through your body faster than someone who has a slower metabolic rate.
Sensitivity In Cannabis Drug Testing
Drug tests being used to test for cannabis in the body all have a certain cutoff level where they can effectively start to detect cannabis metabolites. If the drug test is detecting metabolites above the cutoff level, then that means the drug test will be positive. If there is nothing detected below the cutoff point, then the drug test will be interpreted as negative.
With cannabis drug tests that are known to be more sensitive, that means that they can detect cannabis easier in your body. The people who are administering the test to individuals can use their discretion as to how sensitive they want the test to be in terms of cutoff levels.
Specifics Of Cannabis Drug Testing
If a drug test is effectively able to detect a higher level of cannabis metabolites in the body, then that means the test isn’t very high in specificity. With a test that’s lower in specificity, it can detect more metabolites in the body, and that means the detection window will be increased.
Does The Method Of Cannabis Consumption Play A Role In Detection?
Any method of cannabis consumption will end up showing a positive reading in a drug test. The difference that the method of consumption can make though, is how fast the cannabis will be detectable in the body.
With vaporized cannabis, that will be detectable fairly quickly after consumption. If you vaped some weed, it’ll almost be revealed nearly instantly in a blood test. If you’ve ingested an edible, that can take some time before it shows up because edibles are metabolized in the body at a much slower rate.
Are There Any Detoxes You Can Take To Successfully Beat A Drug Test?
There are a bunch of cannabis detox kits you can purchase that claim that you’ll pass a drug test after using them, but there is still a chance that cannabis will still be detectable in your body.
If you take things a little further, a positive drug test being revealed can sometimes be seen in a positive light if the individual taking the test really does have a dependence on cannabis, and this means that treatment can be considered.
What Scenarios Are Cannabis Drug Tests Used For?
There are a wide variety of different reasons why cannabis drug tests might be considered. Sometimes the testing can be done at random times, and other times the individual will know of the testing well ahead of time. These are situations where cannabis drug testing might be considered:
If your healthcare provider thinks you’re using cannabis.
If your employer requires regular drug testing.
If you’ve been ordered by the court as part of your sentencing.
If you regularly attend a drug or substance abuse treatment program.
If you’re in the military.
If you’re pregnant.
If you’re worried about someone in your home using drugs.
While cannabis drug testing is able to detect consumption within a certain period of time, it can’t always reveal how much they use it. Sometimes receiving a positive drug test outcome for a loved one can be seen as the first step for getting that person some much-needed assistance if you think they have developed a dependence on the drug.
What To Do In Case Of Drug Abuse?
Sometimes people can develop a reliance on cannabis that will dig a little too far into their lives. Some issues that could result in developing a cannabis use disorder are:
Cognitive impairment
Increased risk of heart attacks
Brain development issues
Behavioral issues
Many people are able to gauge their own cannabis use and adjust things accordingly if they think they are consuming too much of it. If they aren’t able to control their use, treatment programs are available. There are also many different therapy programs available for those that might think they need some additional help.
Marijuana Drug Tests
Marijuana Drug Tests
Marijuana Drug Tests – How Long Does PCP Stay In Your Urine?
If you consume cannabis or other drugs either seldomly or frequently, it’s good to know how long it can stay detectable in your body. Even if you don’t feel high anymore, many drugs will still be detectable in your body afterward for a certain amount of time. If you’re in a career that requires you to take blood tests routinely, you might be interested in learning about the fundamentals of drug testing a little bit further. How long does PCP stay in your urine, and what are the other dynamics of cannabis drug testing?
The length of time a drug stays in your system can differ from one person to the next. It also depends on what kind of drug test is being used to detect the drug. Some drugs only stay in your system for a day, meanwhile, some can still remain detectable nearly three months after use.
Some drug tests that are administered are only able to detect a single drug in someone’s body, but the majority of drug tests will be able to detect many different drugs. A popular urine test that’s used is called the SAMHSA-5. This drug test is able to detect:
Contents
What Drug Tests Are Used To Detect Cannabis?
There are a number of different methods that can be used to detect cannabis in a person’s body. The drug tests being administered will accurately detect cannabis in your:
All of the drug tests used will each have their own method of detecting cannabis. The majority of the tests used don’t actually even test for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This might come as a surprise to you because THC is what produces the psychoactive effects, or the high. Drug tests will instead detect the metabolites that THC breaks down into.
What Period Of Time Does Cannabis Linger Around In Your Urine For?
If you’ve consumed cannabis recently, then there is a chance that you’ll test positive in a urine drug test for anywhere between three days to a month. There isn’t a black and white number that can be used because there are so many different things that it depends on.
The Mayo Clinic has a couple of different numbers on how long cannabis will stay in your system for after consumption:
The two different kinds of tests used to detect cannabis are:
Immunoassay is known to be more affordable and more widely used than the latter. On some occasions, each of these tests will be administered to individuals. The second one will be administered right after the first one in order to provide confirmation in the case that there is an error in the first test.
The most reliable way to test for cannabis use is the urine test. Urine tests are affordable and easier for individuals to take in comparison to the other options out there.
For an individual that’s being subject to a urine test, all they have to do is collect their urine in a cup, place the lid on it, and submit it for review. Many times, the drug test results will be available right away. Other times, the test needs to be sent out for review so that a full analysis can be written upon it.
What Length Of Time Does Cannabis Remain Detectable In Your Hair For?
The hair follicle test is known to be on the pricier side when it comes to cannabis drug testing. If you’ve consumed cannabis in the last three months, then there’s a good chance that the hair follicle test will be able to detect it. This is mainly due to the fact that metabolites from cannabis will remain on the hair.
When your hair grows, metabolites from cannabis will get stuck in the hair follicle. Because of that factor, cannabis use can remain detectable for up to three months. With a hair follicle test, around 100 hairs will be taken from the crown area of the scalp.
If the purpose of a drug test is to detect long-term, frequent cannabis use, hair follicle drug tests are very useful. If an individual only uses cannabis every now and then, then hair tests aren’t as useful. For the hair test to detect cannabis metabolite levels in the hair, the individual will have to be using cannabis on a pretty frequent basis.
What Length Of Time Can Cannabis Remain In Your Blood For?
Cannabis blood tests aren’t very popular in comparison to urine tests, but they do still exist. If you’ve consumed cannabis in the past couple of minutes and then take a blood test, it’ll pretty much show up in the blood test instantly. Blood testing for cannabis is more invasive than the other methods, and that’s one of the main reasons why it isn’t as widely used as other drug testing methods.
What Are Some Other Methods To Detect Cannabis In The Body?
There are a few other drug tests that can be administered for detecting cannabis in the body:
Saliva Test
Saliva tests are used to detect cannabis that has been consumed within the last 24 hours, so the window of detection isn’t very long at all. In addition, the results can be skewed if the individual happens to rinse their mouth with mouthwash or other kinds of mouth rinses that might have alcohol in them. Many individuals know that these mouth rinses are an easy way to get around the saliva drug test.
Sweat Patches For Cannabis Detection
A sweat test will consist of a sweat patch that’s applied to your skin. It will effectively be able to provide cannabis detection for up to two weeks. The way a sweat patch works is by detecting any metabolites that are lingering in someone’s blood.
There is a sweat patch that has received FDA approval and it will be situated on the skin for anywhere between three days to a week in time. Once that time has passed, the sweat patch will then be provided to a lab for analysis. A sweat patch will also be able to detect metabolites in the blood before it was even put on your skin. On some occasions, skin swabs are also used to detect cannabis in the body, but their efficacy isn’t completely relied upon.
Breathalyzer Testing
Currently, there is a bunch of research going on in order to create reliable breathalyzer tests that can be used to detect cannabis in your body. Once they are successfully developed, it’s assumed that police officers will be able to administer the breathalyzer test to see if someone is driving while high. Some early breathalyzer tests are able to detect cannabis use within two hours after someone has consumed cannabis. There is also other research being done to detect cannabis edible use through saliva drug tests.
Is There Cannabis Drug Testing For Pregnancy-Related Consumption?
It’s a known fact the women who are pregnant will consume cannabis more frequently than any of the other heavier drugs out there. There are some tests that can be done to figure out if a newborn has been exposed to cannabis.
If a medical professional might think that a pregnant woman is consuming cannabis, they might suggest that meconium testing should be conducted.
Meconium testing involves taking a sample of the stool of a newborn baby. Meconium starts to develop when a baby is still in a mother’s womb. This begins to occur anywhere between 12 to 16 weeks during pregnancy. Because of these timelines, meconium testing can be done anywhere between the fifth to sixth months of pregnancy.
If the meconium test comes back as positive, then there is a good chance that child protective services will be informed. There might be some more drug tests that will need to be conducted such as:
What Are Some Of The Factors That Play A Role In Cannabis Detection?
There are a couple of different things that will cause cannabis to show up in a drug test. If an individual consumes cannabis heavily, then that will obviously play a large part in it showing up in a drug test. Heavy consumption might also cause it to show up for a longer period of time.
After cannabis use, it makes its way to fat cells within the body. Because of that factor, someone that has a higher body mass index (BMI) might have a different detection time than someone who has a lower BMI.
Another thing that plays a large part in how long cannabis can be detected is how much THC is in the particular strain of cannabis that the individual is using. Every strain of cannabis will have a different THC level. If someone is smoking a strain of cannabis that contains a very high level of THC, then that will have an effect on the detection levels in the body.
This then leads you to the fact that cannabis concentrates will also stay in the body longer because of their high THC levels. Some of the different cannabis concentrates with higher THC levels are:
These concentrates are usually consumed through either dabbing or just vaping.
Does Your Metabolism Play A Part In Cannabis Detection Times?
Not everyone has the same metabolism. Your metabolism plays a large part in how fast it will flush cannabis through your system. If you have a high metabolic rate, then your body has the ability to metabolize cannabinoids through your body faster than someone who has a slower metabolic rate.
Sensitivity In Cannabis Drug Testing
Drug tests being used to test for cannabis in the body all have a certain cutoff level where they can effectively start to detect cannabis metabolites. If the drug test is detecting metabolites above the cutoff level, then that means the drug test will be positive. If there is nothing detected below the cutoff point, then the drug test will be interpreted as negative.
With cannabis drug tests that are known to be more sensitive, that means that they can detect cannabis easier in your body. The people who are administering the test to individuals can use their discretion as to how sensitive they want the test to be in terms of cutoff levels.
Specifics Of Cannabis Drug Testing
If a drug test is effectively able to detect a higher level of cannabis metabolites in the body, then that means the test isn’t very high in specificity. With a test that’s lower in specificity, it can detect more metabolites in the body, and that means the detection window will be increased.
Does The Method Of Cannabis Consumption Play A Role In Detection?
Any method of cannabis consumption will end up showing a positive reading in a drug test. The difference that the method of consumption can make though, is how fast the cannabis will be detectable in the body.
With vaporized cannabis, that will be detectable fairly quickly after consumption. If you vaped some weed, it’ll almost be revealed nearly instantly in a blood test. If you’ve ingested an edible, that can take some time before it shows up because edibles are metabolized in the body at a much slower rate.
Are There Any Detoxes You Can Take To Successfully Beat A Drug Test?
There are a bunch of cannabis detox kits you can purchase that claim that you’ll pass a drug test after using them, but there is still a chance that cannabis will still be detectable in your body.
If you take things a little further, a positive drug test being revealed can sometimes be seen in a positive light if the individual taking the test really does have a dependence on cannabis, and this means that treatment can be considered.
What Scenarios Are Cannabis Drug Tests Used For?
There are a wide variety of different reasons why cannabis drug tests might be considered. Sometimes the testing can be done at random times, and other times the individual will know of the testing well ahead of time. These are situations where cannabis drug testing might be considered:
While cannabis drug testing is able to detect consumption within a certain period of time, it can’t always reveal how much they use it. Sometimes receiving a positive drug test outcome for a loved one can be seen as the first step for getting that person some much-needed assistance if you think they have developed a dependence on the drug.
What To Do In Case Of Drug Abuse?
Sometimes people can develop a reliance on cannabis that will dig a little too far into their lives. Some issues that could result in developing a cannabis use disorder are:
Many people are able to gauge their own cannabis use and adjust things accordingly if they think they are consuming too much of it. If they aren’t able to control their use, treatment programs are available. There are also many different therapy programs available for those that might think they need some additional help.