How long does Cannabis stay in your system and when will it show up on a drug test?
Driving with any THC in your system is illegal in Australia and you might be surprised how long THC can be in your system. In this article we discuss different drug tests and factors that might influence the detection of THC or CBD in your system.
Image credit:
Rodolfo Clix
The potency of the product you consume, your metabolism, and the method of consumption can all affect the length of time that Cannabis stays in your system. For example, if you smoke Cannabis, it’s more likely to stay in your system longer than when you consume an edible.
The detection windows for drug tests can vary, and it’s not an exact science, so please take the below detection windows as a guidance with a possible margin of error. Most drug tests are designed to detect THC and below detection windows refer to finding THC in your system.
Saliva: Mouth swabs are often used for drug driving tests in Australia. THC can be detected in your saliva for up to 24 hours after use but in some occasions can still show up after 72 hours.
Urine: Marijuana can be detected in urine for up to 30 days after last use for heavy users (use Cannabis multiple times a day) and up to 7 days for infrequent users (use Cannabis four times a week or less).
Blood: Blood tests can detect THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, for up to 24 hours.
Hair: Hair tests can detect THC for up to 90 days.
Please keep in mind that driving in Australia with THC in your system is illegal. If you know that you’ll need a drug test, it would be good to understand which test they will administer and what they will be testing for. If your employer requires a drug test, you might want to talk to your employer first and explain that you have a medical cannabis prescription and understand their drug testing policies.
Can you detect cbd in a drug test?
Yes, some drug tests can detect CBD in the system. However, most standard drug tests are designed to detect THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, rather than CBD. As a result, a positive result on a drug test from CBD use is relatively uncommon, especially if the CBD product is derived from hemp and contains less than 0.3% THC.
It's important to note that there are some circumstances, such as high doses or the use of certain CBD products, where THC may be high enough to cause a positive result on a drug test. So if you're concerned about a possible positive result on a drug test, it's best to choose a CBD product derived from hemp and lab-tested to ensure it contains low levels of THC.
Share this article
How long does it take for the effects of Cannabis to kick in?
Why do the effects of Cannabis sometimes kick in immediately and sometimes take up to 2 hours? This article explains how individual factors and your consumption method influence your Cannabis high.
