Before we dig into how long does CBD stay in your system, let’s look at what CBD (cannabidiol) is. It is one of many cannabinoids found in Cannabis. It is extracted from hemp rather than marijuana and does not give a “high” feeling.
THC, found in marijuana, is responsible for the feeling of being high. Since hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, hemp-derived CBD products contain little or no THC. Although trace amounts of THC can sometimes be found in CBD products, there’s not enough to affect your body. Moreover, CBD has a natural ability to block THC’s ability to activate CB1 receptors in cells. The activation of these receptors is what causes a high feeling. So the ratio of THC to CBD in hemp products is not going to produce a psychoactive effect. But, will you pass a CBD oil drug test?
Does CBD show up on a drug test?
Many employers require drug testing but they are primarily concerned about impairment. CBD does not cause any psychoactive effects, so it does not cause impairment, which is why it is legal in all 50 states. Since drug tests are designed to detect drugs that cause impairment, they usually do not test for CBD.
As we talked about earlier, hemp-derived CBD products can still contain trace amounts of THC. Many may be concerned that this will show up on a drug screen. There are two common types of drug screens: a ten-panel screen and a five-panel screen. Both of these types of tests do check for THC-COOH—which is metabolized THC—as well as non-metabolized THC.
It is possible that large amounts of CBD-product consumption (1,000-2,000 mg each day) could contain enough THC to show up on a test and produce a false-positive result. However, it is highly unlikely. Even with heavy CBD use, the THC levels would not meet the federal limit which is 50 nanograms THC metabolite per milliliter of urine.
If the CBD product you use contains 0% THC, you would not test positive on a drug test (unless there’s an error with the test) because drug screens do not usually check for CBD. There are CBD oil drug tests being developed for employers, but most don’t care about their employees using CBD. If you’re not sure if your employer is testing for CBD, it’s best to be upfront with your employer and let them know about CBD usage, so there are no surprises. Be clear as to why you use CBD and make sure they are aware that it is a natural non-psychoactive supplement.
Medical drug tests
Not all drug screening is done by employers. There are also many cases where tests need to be given by medical professionals. While an employer’s goal for a drug screen is often to ensure they have productive employees, a medical professional’s goal is to keep you safe. When administering drugs, it’s important to know that there are no other drugs in the patient’s system that could cause a bad reaction when mixed with other medications.
For this reason, when undergoing a procedure, you may be required to take a drug test. In this case, it will most likely test for CBD in the bloodstream. If you know that you are going to undergo a procedure, it’s important to consult your doctor a week or two beforehand. They may require you to stop using CBD for a week before the procedure.
How long does CBD stay in the bloodstream?
If you know you will be tested for CBD ahead of time, the best course of action may be to stop using it beforehand. So how far ahead do you need to stop using CBD oil, and how long will it stay in your system?
The answer to the question isn’t quite straightforward. It can depend on many factors including how much is used, how it is used, and your bodies ability to filter it out. Moreover, this topic has not yet been extensively studied—so it’s not entirely clear.
In one very old study published in the National Institute of HEalth, 14 Huntington’s disease patients who took large amounts of CBD for a six-week period were observed. After taking 700mg of CBD each day during the six weeks, they stopped taking CBD altogether. After one week without any CBD, their blood was tested for any amounts of CBD. The amount of CBD in their bloodstream was practically untraceable. However, this is dealing with blood—not urine. Although CBD did not show up in their blood, it does not necessarily mean it could not show up in a urine drug test.
There are currently no studies showing how long CBD will remain in urine. However, many experts of CBD agree that it should take no longer than two weeks for CBD to be undetectable through urine. Of course, this is only speculation, and it has not yet been explored scientifically.
Final thoughts
Although CBD is becoming more and more popular for its powerful therapeutic and medicinal uses, there’s still a lot of misconceptions about what it is and what it does. Because it’s often associated with marijuana and THC, many people are reluctant to give it a try.
All in all, most employers are fine with CBD use. As for the trace amounts of THC, drug tests will more than likely not produce a false positive because of them. But of course, if you’re not sure, ask your employer about their rules and regulations.
Due to FDA Regulations, we recommend that you do your own research on CBD products. We also suggest that you read the reviews on our website; where our customers record their real-world results of using our products.
