The question of how long CBD stays in your system is an important one. If you’re a heavy user and often go days without sleep, it’s not uncommon for anxiety to set in and make everything worse. So if you find yourself wondering “How long does CBD stay in your system?” it is helpful to know that CBD has some pretty short half-life.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the most exciting cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. It’s becoming increasingly popular for its therapeutic benefits, with many states moving towards legalizing CBD extracts and oil.
When you take CBD, there are several ways it can be metabolized. Most of the metabolites are hydroxylated to one degree or another, which makes for a very complex metabolic picture. Hydroxylation is typically catalyzed by the CYP450 enzyme system in the liver. This process will make some metabolites more potent than others. It is also important to note that these metabolites are detectable in the hair, blood, and urine.
Even though CBD may not be detectable for a longer time, many cannabinoids can still be detected in your body for several months after consumption.
How Long Does CBD Oil Stay in Your System? (Important Factors)
How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System? – How Many Days?
All of this information is good to know, but going back to the original question: how long does CBD stay in your system?
In order to estimate a time frame for how long it will be detectable in your urine, you must first understand that there are other variables that must be taken into account.
The variables that contribute to how long CBD stays in your system include:
- Dosage – The more CBD you take, the longer it will stay in your body, so if you took 1mg of CBD every day for 30 days, it would likely stay in your system for a longer period of time than if you took 10mg of CBD every day for 15 days.
- Interaction with other medications and supplements – If you’re taking other medications that could potentially interact with CBD, this is another reason why it will be detectable in your system longer when compared to someone who is not on any medication at all.
- Mode of consumption – If you take CBD oil, it will be detectable in your urine longer than if you consumed CBD edibles or dermal patches because THC and other cannabinoids are metabolized by the liver, whereas inhaling them is not. Timing may vary depending on how much water you drink daily. The more water you drink, the more you will urinate, so if it is tested on urine that was not concentrated, then the metabolites of CBD will be significantly lower.
- Your unique body chemistry – No two people are the same, so your metabolic rate will also play a role in how quickly or slowly CBD stays in your system.
- Your body fat percentage – The higher your body fat %, the more fatty tissue you have, which means cannabinoids will stay in that tissue for longer making it harder to eliminate them from your system.
- Frequency of use – Like dosage, the more frequently you use CBD oil products, the longer it will take to leave your system. So if you’re a daily CBD user, it will take longer to get out of your system than someone who uses CBD oil on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Age – Age is also a factor when determining how long CBD stays in your system because older people tend to have more fatty tissue than younger people and therefore will eliminate cannabinoids at a slower rate.
- Other drugs in your system – Drugs like ibuprofen, Tylenol, and aspirin are commonly used every day by people around the world. These drugs are metabolized through different means than how cannabinoids are metabolized so if you consume CBD while also consuming one of these other medications on a regular basis, it will likely have an effect on how long CBD stays in your system.
Read more: Does CBD Help With PTSD?
What you need to know about CBD half life
CBD half life is the amount of time it takes for CBD to lose half its strength in your body.
It does not mean that CBD will break down and be eliminated from your system after a set number of hours or days, but rather that at its peak concentration within your body, only 50% will remain after a certain amount of time has passed.
Read more: Can CBD Oil Help With Nerve Pain?
How CBD oil half life is determined
The amount of time it takes for CBD to start breaking down in the body until a point when only 50% remains in your system, not because at that point it can’t degrade further but because at that level it reaches equilibrium and doesn’t change from there on out.
Since CBD is fat soluble it accumulates in fatty tissues in the body and can be stored there for long periods of time. The more fatty tissue you have the longer it stays in your system until eventually most of it has been processed out.
CBD half life can vary for a number of different reasons including how often you take CBD, your body fat percentage, and whether or not you have taken other medications.
Read more: Top CBD Oils for Autism
Will CBD Oil Show Up on a Drug Test?
Drug tests can detect the presence of cannabinoids and their metabolites in your system. This will vary depending on the type of test, where you’re tested, and how often you consume CBD.
It’s important to note that drug tests do not determine impairment; they only show whether or not someone consumed cannabis at some point recently (or possibly weeks/months ago).
CBD oil from hemp is legal to purchase and consume in all 50 states without a prescription, but be aware that THC can still show up on a drug screen. In fact, it’s THC metabolites that are screened for in the standard drug test used by employers. This specific type of testing does not determine if someone is impaired or intoxicated at the time of the test.
It’s important to understand that CBD itself is not a drug, and it does not show up on standard drug tests. It is only the metabolites that are present in your system after you have taken CBD which can be detected by drug screens. If you are taking pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids, there is some cannabinoid residue leftover in the product that may cause a positive result on drug screens.
How long is CBD detectable in blood?
Typically, CBD does not produce a positive result on blood tests. Blood tests are most often used for medical diagnosis and general health monitoring, so if you are being tested during this time it is unlikely that the results would be flagged as positive. Depending on the type of test given, it may take up to two months to completely clear cannabinoids from your blood.
How long does CBD Oil Stay in Your Urine
Cannabinoid metabolites can be detected in your urine for several months, and CBD is no exception. This test detects the presence of THC-COOH, which is a metabolite produced when THC breaks down. Marijuana users usually start to show positive results on urine tests within 2-5 days of consuming cannabis, but this could change if you are taking high doses or using more potent product types such as edibles or concentrates.
Some people also try to pass drug tests by drinking excessive amounts of fluid before they take the test. However, this method may dilute your sample too much if you aren’t careful about how much water you drink. Diluted samples can trigger a false result, so it’s best to drink only water on the days leading up to your test.
How long is CBD detectable in hair?
Hair tests can detect cannabinoids for up to 90 days after usage. Like urine tests, these are looking for the presence of THC-COOH metabolites which break down when cannabis is consumed.
Since hair follicles grow at a fairly steady rate, these tests are usually more accurate than urine or blood screens. A technician will take a few strands of your hair and test them with an immunoassay that looks for “naturally occurring substances,” so even if you’re taking CBD oil, this type of test won’t be able to pick it up.
If you have been using CBD products on a daily basis, most experts recommend stopping at least two months before getting tested in order to produce clean results.
How long is CBD detectable in saliva?
Drug tests for cannabinoids are becoming more commonly used in the workplace, and saliva screens are often used to test for recent drug usage. Saliva tests tend to detect cannabinoids within 1-2 days after use, but like all other types of screenings, this can vary based on how frequently you consume CBD oil.
If you’re taking pharmaceutical grade products that contain residual amounts of cannabinoids from the extraction process, your results may come up as positive even if you haven’t taken any CBD that day. If you’re concerned about passing a saliva test or just want to be 100% sure that your results will be accurate, it’s best to discontinue use at least two weeks before testing.
Conclusion
As you can see, the question of how long CBD stays in your system is an important one. Understanding more about the effects and duration of use will help you make better decisions for yourself. If you find yourself wondering “How long does CBD stay in your system?” it’s helpful to know that there are some pretty short half-lives involved here. Comment below with any questions or concerns!