With many states legalizing marijuana use, people have gotten easy access to it. For many years, the use of marijuana products has increased consistently. Where marijuana is illegal, authorities consider taking a drug test for employment purposes. This raises the question of how long marijuana stays in your system. It depends on certain factors and types of drug tests. This blog answers the questions with some explanation.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of the key components responsible for euphoric high. It is processed by your liver and turns into metabolites. The THC that is stored in your body’s organs and tissues is released into the bloodstream. Eventually, the liver breaks down the rest of the stored THC. However, you must know that THC builds up fatty issues faster than your body can eliminate it. It can still appear positive on a drug test days, weeks and even months after consuming marijuana.
It depends on certain factors like:
1. The consumption and frequency of use.
2. The amount of THC present in the marijuana.
3. Ways of consuming marijuana.
4. Your metabolism rate and excretion routes.
5. Your BMI, hydration levels, gender, overall health, lifestyle and genetics.
Typically, weed remains for a longer time in your hair and can be detected for up to 9- days from the day of use. Weed can be detected until 30 days in your urine and up to 24 hours in your saliva. However, while taking a blood test within 12 hours, weed can be detected in your blood.
When marijuana is inhaled as opposed to ingesting edibles, THC reaches the organs and bloodstream faster. However, the THC present in the edibles can show up on drug tests. The liver takes a longer time to break down edibles but eventually, it breaks down the THC into metabolites excreted during urine and feces. The leftover THC is absorbed in your bloodstream and spreads to tissues throughout your body. The average time when marijuana is detected for edibles in urine is 3 to 30 days, in blood, it remains for 1 to 2 days and in saliva it stays for 1 to 3 days.
Edibles don’t usually last in your system if you consume marijuana occasionally. Saliva tests are not as effective for edibles but you should stay away from edibles between one and three days from your test.
A urine test is the most common type of drug test taken by individuals. A urine test is taken by doing a chemical examination and visual examination of a urine sample. It is relatively a cheaper test and can give you results in 10 minutes. 20% of the metabolites leave your body through urine and the other 80% are removed as feces.
Urine tests can detect THC in your body from 3 to 7 days. Additionally, it also depends on how much marijuana you have consumed and for how long. In case an individual is a heavy user who consumes weed or marijuana at least once a day, the THC can be detected in the urine for up to 30 days.
If you are a heavy marijuana user, more THC will build up and remain in your body. It is because your body can break down THC at a specific rate only. If you are a frequent marijuana user, it means it will take longer for THC to leave your system.
It takes 1 to 3 days to detoxify your body if you have consumed marijuana once. If you are a moderate user or consume marijuana more than 3 times a week, it will take 5 to 7 days to detoxify your body and if you consume it daily, it can take up to 2 weeks to cleanse your body. However, if you are a heavy user of marijuana it may take more than 3 months to detoxify your body from marijuana.
