Weed may be more popular today than it used to be, but is it really acceptable? We’ve seen employers query or sack employees because of marijuana use, despite this popularity. Some organizations are even inventing new methods to detect drug presence in their employees’ systems. As a result, we are not surprised to see questions like “How long does weed stay in your system?”
To fully answer this question, we’ve focused today’s article on explaining the length of time different drugs stay in the body. But we won’t stop there. We’ll also attempt to explain the different factors that can affect drug detection. Don’t forget that a detailed understanding of these drug detection periods can help you know how to get through a drug test without issues.
How THC is Processed in the Human Body
If you’ve ever researched any drug forum, you’ll see questions like:
- How long does THC stay in the system
- How is cannabis processed in the body, etc?
We can’t answer these questions without reviewing how THC is processed in the body. Once inhaled, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, passes through the lungs to get into your blood. However, note that your fatty tissues or organs can sometimes block it for some time. This is the main reason people with higher levels of fat molecules may experience a slower metabolism.
A significant amount of cannabis gets excreted from the body through feces and urine. The remaining parts are stored in body tissues, from where they get released back into the bloodstream. It is at this stage that the liver begins to metabolize it.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your System?
Let’s get right to it: how long does weed stay in the system? Before delving fully into THC’s real detection window by testing method, let’s review the factors that can influence how long THC can be detected in your body.
- Metabolism rate: we’ve talked briefly about this point already. Different individuals may process weed differently because of their genetic composition. Some people’s systems will easily deal with toxins, while others will be as gradual and thorough as possible. For this reason, you must look out for your personal metabolism rate when trying to estimate how long weed stays in your system.
- Body fat and hydration levels: this one’s almost a no-brainer—fat typically obstructs smooth metabolism. So, the more fat you have, the more room the weed will have to hide before final processing. BMI is one way to judge body fat, so a detailed understanding of your body mass index can help you guess how long weed stays in your body.
- Frequency and usage amount: how often do you take marijuana? You can’t necessarily expect a one-time vaper to feel the same high levels as a consistent vaper. It’s easy to also see that this factor affects the amount of time weed lasts in the system.
Detection Time for Different Types of Users
Here’s a breakdown of the different types of users and the detection time we can expect for each:
- First-time users: research shows that drug tests can detect even the smallest traces of marijuana. However, first-time users won’t need to worry too much, as the body naturally detoxifies small quantities of THC within a few days (usually three).
- Occasional users: this class of users smokes three to four times per week. Therefore, drugs typically last 5-7 days in them.
- Regular users: daily users can expect more problems depending on the THC dose they consume because drugs can stay detectable in their system for up to 15 days. This type of user will be okay after 10-15 dates.
- Heavy users: if you smoke more than a few times daily, you’re definitely in this category. Vapers in this category can expect their test to cover up to 6 months. So, you had better get ready if you fall into this category.
Detection Windows Based on Testing Methods
The answer to how long does weed stay in your body can’t be complete without reviewing testing methods. Here are some of them.
- Mouth Swab Test: The lab technician uses an absorbent pad to take saliva from your tongue or inner cheek. Thanks to its ability to show results quickly, many workplaces have now adopted this method for testing potential employees. Police officers will also often use it to check drivers suspected of being driving under the influence of alcohol. The detection period for this method is approximately 24 hours.
- Urine Test: You’ll have to submit your urine sample to an expert who runs the urine through routine analysis. Note that this urine must be between 90 and 100°F to qualify. Urinalysis are relatively in-depth, so their detection window ranges from 1 to 30 days. It is often used in workplace settings and in collecting potential evidence for a crime.
- Hair Test: How long does weed stay in the hair follicle? This is arguably the most sensitive method for checking substances. It can detect metabolites for a very long time. Its detection window is pegged at 90 days. The process involves submitting a few hair strands to a professional who reviews the strands for the potential presence of strange substances. Testers can use the hair follicle method to check for a specific drug or for several drugs or drug classes. It is often used for sensitive investigations, screening potential employees for a job, or maintaining compliance with certain regulations.
- Blood Tests: most substances won’t last in the blood for too long, so it’s not surprising that this method isn’t so popular. This is because most substances leave the blood almost as quickly as they get into it. So the detection window here is fixed at 3-4 days.
Impacts of Different Consumption Methods
As expected, the THC use method goes a long way in determining weed duration in your body. So next time you ask questions like “How long does it take for marijuana to get out of your system,” you can start by reviewing consumption methods. Let’s review some popular cannabis use methods.
Smoking
This method involves rolling up weed using tobacco rolling papers. The rolled-up cannabis is then smoked. Some people prefer to smoke it with a filtration device or a pipe. So how long does weed stay in your system after a couple of puffs? Whichever way you decide to smoke it, note that smoking makes its effect kick in instantly. However, it also means that the effect and duration last less than most other consumption methods. The effects of THC when smoked can last up to 6 hours. In fact, research shows that some residual effects can last up to 24 hours after use and a detection window between three and seven days, depending on other factors.
Ingestion
As an alternative to inhalation, some people may choose to eat or drink THC or THC products as edibles. This method gets THC into the bloodstream rather slowly compared to inhalation. It takes between 30 minutes and 2 hours for the effects of cannabis consumed through this method to show up. Since ingestion means a slower process to get into the bloodstream, you can expect THC to show up in test results for longer periods. With edibles, the THC detection window gets extended to 30 days.
Vaping
Vaping THC is often touted as a safer method than smoking it. This is because the method involves heating, not burning, marijuana. Here, consumers typically use a pen-like device with an opening to inhale vapors from THC oil. But how long does THC stay in the system from weed pens? This method keeps THC and THC metabolites in your body for up to 30 days, depending on other factors. So, don’t be surprised if THC shows up in your drug test after more than a few days of consumption.
How to Pass a Drug Test Successfully?
The question “How long does it take for weed to get out of your system” shows a lot. But there’s more. You also want to learn how to pass the test. Of course, there are several reliable options for passing a drug test. But well, there are unreliable methods too. Before we dive into reviewing how you can pass your drug test, let’s dispel some popular drug test cheating myths that don’t work.
- Urine substitution: If you’re billed for a urine test, the first thing that comes to mind is to substitute your dirty urine with a clean one for the test. There’s only one problem with this trick – almost everyone in the testing scene has also thought about it at some point, so they have strict measures to avoid it. One such is ensuring that a submitted sample is in a particular temperature range () to qualify for the drug test. You know, there’s no way you can bear this one if you have to transport another urine into the testing center.
- Tampering: Another trick often used by smokers is to tamper with the sample by adding adulterants or diluting it with water. Really? You don’t think professionals will find out? They surely will if they look out for the natural properties in urine.
- Lemon juice myth: The idea that the acidic properties of lemon juice can help to clean drug metabolites is false. There’s no available evidence to back this claim. By doing so, you’re only exposing yourself to stomach discomfort.
Now that we’ve dispelled these myths, let’s review some of the ways to pass the different types of drug tests we’ve mentioned so far.
Urine Test
Once you’ve researched the answer to how long does weed stay in urine, the next step is to find a workable solution that will help you get a positive result. Fortunately, there are several options to try. Some of the popular methods for cheating a urinalysis include:
- Detox pills: these are commercially sold pills and supplements designed to flush toxins out of the body. They are made with ingredients that can help quicken the body’s natural detoxification process. Most people recommend the Toxin Rid Detox pill because of its high success rate. These pills are made of natural ingredients, making them suitable for nearly everyone.
- Detox drinks: Here’s a similar option to detox drugs. But they come in liquid form. These drinks contain a blend of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that work together to eliminate strange substances from the body. The options are quite limited when it comes to top-quality detox drinks. But one option that often gets mentioned in detox discussions is the Detoxify Mega Clean drink.
- Synthetic Urine: it’s not a good idea to swap your urine with another person’s urine. This is why there are synthetic urine products today. These products are designed to resemble real urine in looks and properties. So, you can easily submit it as a urine sample. The best synthetic urine products, like Urine Simulation with Powdered Kit, have warming pads and other equipment that help maintain their temperature until the test time.
- Certo Method: the Certo detox method, also known as the Certo Gatorade method, leverages the fruit pectin commonly found in jams and jellies to absorb toxins found in the body. This method can begin to work in just a few hours after you start. But you must follow all the processes to achieve the desired result.
Saliva Test
By now, you’ve probably asked: how long does THC stay in the saliva gland? While the answer depends, there’s a way to get drug metabolites out of your mouth as quickly as possible. If you use specialized mouthwashes like the Toxin Rid Rescue Wash, you can expect to quickly flush away drug metabolites from your mouth. They come with detailed manual instructions that you can follow for efficient usage. Another option for preparing for saliva tests is to suck sour candies to make your saliva more acidic. Remember that acidic saliva generally reduces the chances of detecting THC in the mouth. So, you can pop in two or three sour citrus candies in your mouth and suck them to get as much acidic flavoring as possible out of the candies.
Hair Test
Preparing for this kind of test takes an extra bit of care since it is the most in-depth type of test. However, one of the best options for anyone preparing for this test is to research and invest in high-quality detox shampoo specifically designed to clean drug residues from the hair. These shampoos are mostly produced with special ingredients that help to break down and remove THC residues from the hair. Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid Shampoo is an excellent example of this product. Another option is to cleanse your hair using the Macujo method. This famous seven-step hair cleansing procedure is widely known and loved for its effectiveness in cleansing heavy traces of THC from the hair.
Q&A
How Long Does One Smoke Session Stay in Your System?
THC is only typically detectable in the bloodstream for a short time (between one and three days). However, its metabolites last longer. So you may have metabolites from one smoke session lasting in your body and being detectable for up to 10 days. Again, this depends on factors like quantity smoked, test type, body type, etc.
How Long Does Delta 8 Stay in Your System?
Although less potent than delta 9, this chemical component present in THC can still be detected in drug tests. Regular users can expect delta 8 to show up in their test results for up to 15 days after use. However, this detection period is influenced by all the factors we’ve listed in this article.
How Useful Are Homemade Detox Diets and Remedies?
There is hardly any available scientific evidence to show the effectiveness of homemade remedies in eliminating toxins from the body. Besides, some of them may pose significant health risks. So we recommend changing your lifestyle as an effective way to beat drug tests
How Long Does It Take to Detox from Cannabis?
Again, it depends on usage frequency. Light users will detox after a few days, while chronic users may still find traces in their system after several days.
How Can You Quickly Detox from Marijuana?
There’s no one best way to go about this apart from completely withdrawing its use. However, several methods, like the use of detox pills and drinks, exist for detoxifying before a drug test. Your choice of detox method should be streamlined to your specific needs to ensure safety and efficiency throughout the detoxification process.
Conclusion
Detoxification is such an important topic to smokers because it is the only sure way to pass a toxicology screen. However, you must answer questions like “How long does marijuana stay in your system?” before choosing an effective detox method. Unfortunately, there’s no one universal answer to this question, and that’s why you must research different factors that influence detection time. We’ve reviewed some of these factors in different parts of this article. Remember, the best way to pass this kind of test is to completely withdraw from smoking.