Burning Questions: How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

If you haven’t noticed, events move with head-spinning speed in the world of cannabis. Suddenly, the hottest topic in weed is CBD, a compound that doesn’t even get you high. What gives? More to the point, will it make you fail a drug test?

The answer is: That depends, but most likely not.

In this article, we’ll share what we know the reasons why, how CBD interacts with your body, and answers to the $64,000 Question: How long does CBD stay in your system?

Cannabis and the Body: How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

Although technically speaking CBD is psychoactive, it doesn’t produce a “high” like its cousin THC, and therefore it’s not typically the focus of drug tests. Not surprisingly, there hasn’t been a great deal of research on CBD’s persistence in the body, but one study from 1991 found that the cannabinoid was almost undetectable a week after its use was discontinued. The researchers in this case estimated that the half-life of CBD in the body was roughly two to five days.

That stands in stark contrast with THC. When that cannabinoid enters the bloodstream, it’s broken down into molecules called metabolites, a generic term for a body chemical produced by metabolism. Like the experience of actually being high, THC dissipates fairly rapidly, within a few hours. But those metabolites linger, and at least one of them—THC-COOH—can be detected as long as a few weeks after the cannabis was consumed.

Of course, if you’re consuming cannabis products containing little to no THC—CBD products manufactured from hemp typically contain less than .3% THC—you probably needn’t worry about THC levels. But there are exceptions, which brings us to the ultimate question….

Will CBD Make Me Fail a Drug Test?

Again, the short answer is: Probably not. Drug tests typically screen for THC or its metabolites, as we explained above. But there are a few complicating factors.

What kind of drug test is it? Drug testing is typically conducted via saliva, urine, or hair, and each method has its own window of greatest accuracy. A saliva test, typically performed using an oral swab, yields the shortest-lived results, a hair test the longest. Used to identify chronic cannabis users, its more or less standard window of accuracy is 90 days. Again, that’s usually for THC, not CBD. But are you sure there’s no THC in your cannabis?

This answer depends on several factors. Are you sure your cannabis is properly labeled? That’s one reason we always recommend you only buy from reputable dispensaries committed to maintaining accurate and safe labeling standards.

How was the CBD derived? As we referenced above, even CBD from hemp contains trace amounts of THC. Drug tests are designed to ignore these low levels of the cannabinoid, though false positives are known to occur.

If your CBD is derived from cannabis, there’s potentially a greater chance of a) cross-contamination from other products containing THC and b) the possibility that faulty product testing failed to reveal higher-than-anticipated levels of THC.

That’s a lot to potentially worry about, but we want to return our earlier statement: The possibility that your drug test is deliberately screening for CBD is very low. As long as you buy your CBD products from a reputable source, the chances you’ll fail a drug test are extremely low.

Can You Fool a Drug Test Designed for CBD?

That’s highly debatable. There are some products—often described as “natural detox” tonics—which purport to help you pass drug tests, though they’re typically designed to foil a THC test. We can’t vouch for or recommend any of them, other than letting you know that they exist.

Have more questions beyond “how long does CBD stay in your system?” Feel free to ask our budtenders the next time you stop by!

Now that you know more about CBD, why not stop by your nearest Have a Heart to check out our high-CBD strains, cartridges, edibles, and more? You can find your nearest location below!