How Long Does Weed Stay In Your Body : How Can it be Eliminated?

Introduction

There are several reasons one might want to inquire how long weed stays in the human body, from wanting to know the effects before consumption to having concerns about passing drug tests. There are several countries where the consumption of weed is not legal.

And hence failing a drug test may result in termination of their employment and can even lead to severe legal consequences depending upon the laws of their country. 

In this article, we will read about how long doe weed stays in your body, what factors can influence the results, and if there are any ways we can cheat on drug tests.

Understanding how weed is processed in the human body and how Drug detection test works can help people avoid a failed drug test.

Though in many countries, medical use of marijuana is perfectly legal, if you are using it medically, you shouldn’t worry about a drug test.

You can inform your employer about your prescription and medical issues. But if you use it recreationally, which is illegal in many countries, there can be harsh consequences. 

This article gives you all the information available on this topic.

What is Weed?

Weed is a more common name for Marijuana or Cannabis, and it is also known popularly as pot by many people. It is one of the most debated drugs as it has both positive and negative effects on the user’s overall health.

It is a natural psychoactive drug that causes euphoria upon its usage. The two types of drug species are Cannabis Indicia and Cannabis Sativa. 

Though smoking weed is the most popular form of its consumption, there are various methods and ways to consume it. Each method has a different absorption rate and effect in the bloodstream.

Glands or Trichomes on cannabis flower buds produce an oily substance that helps in the transportation of active components in Cannabis.

What we call THC is the main psychoactive component in Cannabis that leads to what users refer to as a ‘high’ feeling. Plant constituents or Cannabinoids contain medical cannabidiol- CBD and Cannabigerol- CBG.

How long Can Weed Stay in the Body?

After consumption, 15 percent of the weed remains in the user’s body. Twenty percent of it is removed through excretion, such as feces and urine. Weed can be detected in first-time users or individuals who take it occasionally for up to three days.

An average smoker who may smoke weed but not regularly can expect to fail the drug detection test if it is taken within 5 to 13 days of their last usage. Weed can last in a smoker’s body for 30 days or even more.

But various factors, which we will read further, can influence the rate at which weed can be excreted from the user’s body.

The active component of weed THC is stored in the body’s organs and tissues like the fat, brain, and heart. It then returns to the bloodstream, where the liver metabolizes it and converts it into carboxy-THC and 11-hydroxy-THC.

The accumulation of THC in fat tissues is faster than metabolized, making it easier to detectable in users.

How can Weed be detected in User’s Body?

Drug detection tests are done by collecting a sample from users and then testing it. Let us look at how long weed can be tested by each method-

• Urine Test : Marijuana can be detected up to 30 days and more after its consumption. Making it the most common method for drug detection tests for marijuana.

• Saliva Test : Marijuana can be detected for up to 24 hours on consumption and, on rare occasions, up to 72 hours. 

• Hair Test : It is one of the most sensitive methods and can detect weed in people who have been in contact with weed smokers or are passive smokers. This test can also give false positives. The method detects skin oil to detect THC, which ends up in the user’s hair after consumption. The hair test detects cannabis up to 90 days after its last usage.

• Blood Test : These tests have the shortest detection time in users. It can only be relied upon for 12 hours after cannabis consumption.

The drug testing agency can then test the concentration of weed in the user’s body by using saliva, urine, blood, and even hair. Though each of these methods has a different time frame and level of accuracy when compared to each other.

THC is retained in the highest concentration in the urine for the longest time, therefore urine sampling is the preferred form of drug detection test for weed in the majority of places.

Factors that can Influence Marijuana Detection in Users

Type of Detection Method

Urine and Hair tests are the most sensitive drug detection method and can detect even small amounts of cannabis in users.

Dosage 

Regular Weed Smoker increases their chance of weed detection in their body because of the increased amount of weed accumulation in their body organs and tissues compared to irregular smoker.

Exercise

Contrary to popular belief, exercise can increase the chance of weed detection in the user’s body. This is because the calorie-burning activity will lead to the release of THC content stored by fat cells, which results in an increase in THC concentration in the body. 

Dehydration

Regular hydration does not increase the chances of passing a drug detection test, but dehydration can lead users to fail it. This is because, during dehydration, the level of THC concentration is increased in the user’s body, which increases their chances of detection.

Gender

Females generally have higher fat mass than males, which leads them to slower metabolizing of THC. Thus, increasing their chances of detection. 

Body Fat 

People who have more body fat will slowly metabolize marijuana compared to people who have low body fat. This increases their chances of detection as THC tends to be stored in the body fat.

Weed Potency

Different amounts of THC in weed have different potencies. Therefore, consuming weed with a higher concentration of THC will increase your chances of drug detection. As drug tests try to detect the concentration of THC in the body, consuming a potent weed will increase the chances of drug detection.

Body Metabolism

High metabolism will lead to a quick elimination of the THC and body chemicals caused by the consumption of marijuana. Causing people with higher metabolism to have a lower amount of THC.

Methods through which Weed can be eliminated from the Body

Drug detection tests look at the concentration of THC in the body. Thus user’s main focus should be to reduce the drug concentration in the body by dilution.

Increasing the consumption of water and frequency of urination will help but only to an extent. It is recommended that users fill their bladder with as much liquid as they can and not pee for at least one to two hours before the test. 

However, if users are determined to lower the amount of THC in their bodies, a high aspirin dosage has been found to lower the accuracy of marijuana detection through a urine sample.

Furthermore, users should try to avoid submitting their urine samples in the morning as metabolites accumulate in the urine during sleep. 

If the drug test is not immediate, users should focus on other factors mentioned above, which will lower their THC concentration, such as Body fat, Metabolism, Weed Potency, and Dosage.

In summary, users should reduce their weed consumption and maintain a high metabolism and low body fat through daily exercise.

What Substances Other than Weed can Affect Drug Detection Tests?

Medication consumption for nausea and chemotherapy can lead to a failed drug test. In addition, consuming supplements containing CBD oil or THC of more than 3% can result in a failed drug test. 

Consumption of CBD products derived from the Cannabis plant without proper purification can lead to a failed drug test.

How to Dispute a Failed Drug Test?

Drug tests do not have a complete accuracy test, so you can also demand a retake. You can also inform the drug testing authority about your consumption of medication or supplements, which may influence the drug test. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that Cannabis has a cumulative effect. Thus knowing when to stop its consumption can decide between failing and passing the drug detection test. Even more so, if users know in advance when the test is going to happen, they can time when to quit to pass the test. 

Along with that, daily exercise and proper hydration will increase users’ chances of passing the drug test by lowering the concentration of the THC present in their bodies and increasing their metabolism.

However, if a user is not using the drug and still needs to take the test, it would be wise to inform the agency about all the medication and supplements they consume.