How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your System?

One of the most often abused drugs in the world is cannabis. Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, has a wide range of pharmacological effects on both humans and animals.

When smoking marijuana the effects can reach peak levels in your body within minutes and can last a few hours. Marijuana usage impairs thinking, hinders learning, and makes it difficult to complete routine daily tasks. THC travels through your body in a certain way depending on how you ingest it. The cannabinoids quickly reach the blood and brain after being inhaled. When ingested the effects can take a few hours to reach peak levels.

How Long Is Marijuana In Your System?

  • How frequently the drug is consumed
  • A person’s body fat percentage
  • The accuracy of the test
  • How much they ingest

 

Generally speaking, alcohol and other drugs may leave the body in a matter of hours. Marijuana, in contrast, can linger for a very long time. THC is what’s considered lipid soluble. As a result, it takes longer for someone to fully get rid of THC because it binds to fat in the body.

Testing for marijuana only finds traces of past marijuana use, not present intoxication. After consumption, marijuana can still be identified for days, weeks, or even months. Detection is influenced by the kind of sample, marijuana dosage, and frequency: Tests may pick up THC for up to three days in someone using it for the first time. For someone who habitually uses marijuana, the drug may be detectable for over 6 weeks. Approximate durations of detection for common tests are as follows:

  • Saliva Test Up To 24 hrs
  • Blood Test: Up to 7 days
  • Urine Test: Up to 6 weeks
  • Hair Test: Up To 90 days

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Getting Marijuana Out Of Your System

Abstinence is the greatest approach to ridding your body of THC. The most frequent test, a urine test, requires two weeks of abstinence for the THC to exit your system if you use marijuana moderately. THC mostly resides in fat cells and slowly excretes through the urine. Exercise can aid in burning fat cells, therefore, can expedite the detoxification process.

Can You Beat A Drug Test?

Detox beverages or pills are sometimes used by people to pass drug tests for employment, probation, or other purposes. Many commercial and homebrewed beverages claim to cleanse the body of narcotics and aid in passing drug tests. Although many makers of detox beverages assert that their products help the body get rid of toxins, this isn’t always the case.

These methods do not remove the drug from a person’s system, even if it helps them pass a drug test. The body cannot be totally cleansed of toxins with the help of a drink like this, and none of its contents will necessarily make the body more capable of detoxification. The way these products do help is by increasing urine output, essentially diluting the sample.

How Vaping Is Different From Smoking Marijuana?

An increasingly popular alternative to smoking marijuana is vaporizing or vaping. A vaporizer or comparable device, known as a “vape,” heats cannabis flower or a cannabis concentrate into a vapor that may be inhaled. Cannabis is heated via vaping without being burned, resulting in a vapor that is rich in terpenes and cannabinoids as opposed to smoke. 

“Can vaping serve as a healthier substitute for smoking?” It’s critical to realize that, despite the optimism within the scientific community, there are still certain risks associated with vaping. Some vape goods include flavoring, thinning agents, and other ingredients that, when broken down, might cause cancer.

Statistics Relevant To Drug Tests

  • The total percentage of positive urine tests increased in the broad US workforce from 4.4% in 2020 to 4.6% in 2021.
  • THC testing has declined in many states due to the legalization of recreational marijuana and the shortage of workers.
  • Positive results resulting from post-accident urine testing have increased by 26% over the last 5 years

Detoxing From Marijuana/Marijuana Withdrawal

One in ten Americans who use cannabis will develop an addiction, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That number significantly increases if you begin using marijuana before the age of 18. Using marijuana only a few times will most likely not result in dependence. For individuals who use the substance on a regular basis the withdrawal side effects may be as follows:

  • Headaches
  • Mood shifts
  • Irritability
  • Reduced appetite
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Loss of focus
  • Cravings
  • Sweating, including cold sweats
  • Depression
  • Stomach issues
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Ben Fisher

Ben is a content creator with multiple years in recovery. Ben has been writing content and managing instagram and facebook pages that provide hope and healing information to individuals seeking help for substance use disorder. In addition to his work in behavioral health, Ben loves to play guitar and hangout with his kids.

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Get Help For Marijuana Addiction

The signs may not be noticeable at first glance. Getting help with a substance abuse problem before it takes control of a person’s life is why it is important to take action immediately. Just because the social acceptance of marijuana has started to shift doesn’t mean that dependence on the drug should be taken lightly. If you are struggling with addiction Ethan Crossing can help.