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The discovery of CBD’s numerous health benefits has led to a rise in its popularity. But many people are still reluctant to try it, particularly those seeking formal employment or who must consent to a drug test. The unease is mainly due to conflicting opinions on how long CBD stays in a user’s system and if it will result in a positive drug test.
Unfortunately, there is no definite answer regarding how long CBD stays in the body. However, there is the likelihood of testing negative for CBD if you understand how long the body takes to clear the substance under different circumstances.
We attempt to give an in-depth explanation in this article.
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is a naturally occurring substance in hemp plants.
Contrary to THC, the psychoactive ingredient of the marijuana plant, hemp-derived CBD is a nonpsychoactive substance that does not make people feel high.
Due to its numerous medical applications, many states have legalized the use of CBD under varying degrees of restrictions.
Let’s first examine our bodies to understand how CBD works. Surprisingly, our bodies produce their cannabinoid system called endocannabinoid (ECS), a network of enzymes and receptors.
According to the National Library of Medicine (2008), the ECS governs nearly every aspect of our body’s functionality, including the ability to manage movement, mood, inflammation, and pain. Once CBD enters the bloodstream, it identifies cannabinoid receptors in the body, binds them, and triggers a whole series of processes that aid in disease control.
Generally speaking, CBD keeps working in the body for two to eight hours. While some people get relief right away, for others, it may take hours or even days for the effects to manifest. However, as explained below, several factors largely influence how long CBD stays in your system.
For people who use CBD in moderate amounts once or twice, their bodies flush the CBD out within one to two days. In comparison, constantly adding vast amounts of CBD into the body means it will linger for several more days or weeks.
Some people experience CBD’s benefits instantly; others require regular intake to feel the effect. Their bodies require a certain level of CBD digested to start experiencing the benefits. Normal consumption piles up the amount of CBD that needs flushing out and takes longer to leave the system.
CBD products have several formats: CBD edibles, CBD oils, CBD capsules, CBD topicals, and CBD vapes. The method of consumption affects how long it will take to feel the effect and to which extent it remains in your body.
CBD oils and edibles such as CBD gummies go through the digestive system before entering the bloodstream and take 8 to 24 hours before leaving the system.
CBD vapes go directly into the lungs, offer an effect within two to three minutes, and are expelled off the body with the same speed they got in.
Topical CBD products, on the other hand, don’t enter the bloodstream because CBD creams don’t absorb through the skin in most cases. However, specially designed products like transdermal CBD patches enter the bloodstream slowly and last 10 to 48 hours after application.
CBD products are extracts from the hemp or cannabis plant. However, CBD products vary regarding the type of compound extracted and the concentration levels. Manufacturers usually use three methods to extract the compounds: CBD isolates, broad spectrum, and full-spectrum CBD.
Full spectrum CBD oil contains all the naturally present cannabinoids, including THC, flavonoids, and terpenes. Although only a 0.3% trace amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is in these products, it may stay in a person’s system for up to 90 days.
Broad-spectrum CBD contains a wide range of naturally occurring compounds with no THC traces.
CBD isolate is a pure form of CBD. Manufacturers extract any other compound or substance from the hemp plant and leave behind pure CBD with no traces of THC or other compounds found in the aforementioned product types.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (2014), CBD can stay in your system for a few hours to about 30 days. But for a more comprehensive understanding, let’s examine how long CBD lasts in the body under various circumstances.
The half-life of CBD (the amount of time the body takes to eliminate half of the substance) ranges from one hour to 5 days. Assume that the CBD drug has a three-hour half-life.
The elimination half-life technique predicts that 2.5 mg of CBD will remain in the body after the first half-life (3 hours). 1.25 mg of CBD will still be present at the end of the second half-life, which is 6 hours. Only 0.62 mg of CBD will remain after the third half-life (9 hours).
However, this will vary between people because of some of the factors we discussed early in this article. Therefore, using these calculations as a guideline rather than a rule is best.
CBD oils sold in a tincture format take a few minutes to reach the bloodstream compared to those consumed through swallowing. CBD oil in tincture form is placed beneath the tongue, passing through the mucus membrane into the bloodstream.
They take a shorter time to reach the bloodstream and are swiftly eliminated from the body. Swallowed CBD oil take longer to get off the body system as they go through the digestive system before getting to the bloodstream.
CBD edibles, such as CBD gummies, are chewed and travel through the digestive system and into the stomach before getting into the liver. Only 5% of the metabolized CBD goes into the bloodstream, and it takes 8 to 24 hours to clear the substance from the system.
The answer will depend on the type of CBD product you are taking. You should not fail a drug test if it is pure CBD with no THC. However, if your product contains traces of THC, there is always the possibility that the THC will be detected.
Furthermore, after the CBD effects wither from the body, CBD drug screening can still detect it. Drug screenings can detect THC three days after a single use and up to 30 days for people who consume CBD in massive doses.
Most drug tests are formulated to test for metabolites of illegal drugs. These are chemical residues left behind after the body breaks down the drugs. When testing for CBD traces, THC metabolites are checked.
THC is a fat-soluble that our bodies store in the form of fats. Once the product is used for a long time, THC accumulates as fatty tissues and is released into the bloodstream slowly.
As mentioned earlier, CBD is extracted from hemp, a plant in the cannabis family but contains a trace amount of THC. Unfortunately, if enough amounts of THC appear, then the test turns positive.
Remember, a legally approved hemp product contains up to 0.3% THC. If the traces are below the mark, you may test negative, but that does not mean that the product is ultimately out of your system.
How long does it take for CBD to leave your system? We conclude that, on average, CBD takes 8 to 12 days to leave the human body after the last administration.
Nonetheless, some people may eliminate CBD traces much faster while others take longer due to factors such as CBD products used, method of use, amount, and frequency.
Learn more about CBD-related topics at BioLyfebrands.com.
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Longhurst, A. (2022, June 20). How long does CBD last in the system? https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-cbd-stay-in-your-system#factors
National Library of Medicine, (2008, Feb 13 ). The Endocannabinoid System as an Emerging Target of Pharmacotherapy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2241751/
Keoni CBD. (2023, January 2). Buy CBD Topicals Online. Available at: https://keonicbd.com/product-category/cbd-topicals/
National Center for Biotechnology Information, (2014, Sept). Cannabidiol: Promise and Pitfalls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189631/#:~:text=Tolerability%20and%20Drug%20Interactions&text=Following%20single%20doses%20in%20humans,CYP3A%20(16%2C%2017).
Overview of Medications Half-Life. https://www.verywellmind.com/medication-half-life-380031
WebMD. (2020) CANNABIDIOL (CBD): Overview, Uses, Side Effects. www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1439/cannabidiol-cbd