If you have ever wondered, “How long does marijuana last in your system?” you are not alone. Many people are curious about this, especially if they are subject to mandatory drug tests for their job.

The answer to this question depends on several factors, including the sort of drug test you take, your metabolism, and the level of your marijuana use.

In this post, we look at how long weed stays in your system for each type of drug test. We will also cover the factors that affect how long weed stays in your system and what you can do to speed up the elimination of THC from your body.

What is in marijuana that tests can detect?

Weed, also known as cannabis or marijuana, is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. It is one of the most commonly used drugs globally, and its effects can vary depending on the person and the amount of marijuana consumed.

Marijuana contains over 100 different cannabinoids, but the two most important for drug testing are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THC-COOH). THC is the primary psychoactive component in marijuana, producing the “high” people feel when they smoke or ingest the drug. THC-COOH is a metabolite of THC, and it is what is typically detected in drug tests.

Drug tests can measure the amount of THC and THC-COOH in various bodily fluids, including urine, blood, saliva, and hair. The type of drug test used will determine how long after use THC and THC-COOH can be detected by drug tests.

Urine Testing to detect cannabis

Urine testing is the most common type of drug test, and they can detect THC and THC-COOH for up to 30 days after use. While they can detect THC, the active ingredient in weed, for up to 30 days after use, the detection window can be shorter for people who only use weed occasionally.

Blood Testing to measure THC concentrations

Blood tests can detect cannabis use by measuring THC and THC-COOH for up to 3–4 hours after use, but depending on the blood tests’ sensitivity, they can find traces of THC for up to 24 hours after use. However, the detection window tends to be a few hours shorter for people who only use weed occasionally.

A Saliva Test to test THC levels

Most standard saliva tests can detect THC up to 12 hours after use. But some saliva tests can detect THC and THC-COOH for up to 24 hours after use. Detection time is usually shorter for those who occasionally use weed.

Saliva testing is becoming increasingly popular, with employers worried about marijuana’s effects on employees. There are several reasons for this:

Accuracy: Saliva testing is very accurate and can detect marijuana traces within a few hours of consumption. There are also fewer false positives.

• Invasiveness: Saliva testing is non-invasive and does not require a blood or urine sample – just a little oral fluid taken from your mouth. This makes it more convenient for employers and employees to test for cannabis use.
• Cost: Saliva testing kits are relatively inexpensive, making them a cost-effective option for employers.
• Speed: Saliva tests can be administered and processed quickly, making them a good option for employers who need to test employees on-site for marijuana use.

A hair test can detect THC and THC-COOH for up to 90 days after use. However, hair tests are less common than urine, blood, or saliva tests. There are several reasons why hair tests are not as standard for drug testing as blood or urine. These include:

• Cost: Hair tests are more expensive than blood or urine tests to detect cannabis.
• Accuracy: Hair tests are less accurate than blood or urine tests, with higher false positives. They can be affected by factors such as hair dye, hair treatments, and exposure to environmental toxins.
• The window of detection: Hair tests can detect THC stored for a more extended period than blood or urine tests. However, they cannot detect recent drugs consumed or prove current substance abuse, so they can give a false positive when testing for everyday drug use.
• Invasiveness: Hair tests are more invasive than blood or urine tests. They require hair follicles to be cut from the head, which can be uncomfortable for some people.

How to Speed Up the Elimination of THC

There is no guaranteed way to speed up the elimination of THC from your system. However, there are some things that you can do to help, such as:

• Drinking plenty of fluids
• Exercising
• Eating a healthy diet
• Taking supplements that support liver function

If You Are Concerned About Testing Positive for Weed

If you have an up-and-coming drug test for work or a job interview and are concerned about testing positive for weed or any synthetic cannabinoids or other drugs you take, you should talk to your doctor. They can help you determine how long it will take for THC to be eliminated from your system and provide advice on clearing traces from your system to pass a drug test.

Infrequent users who want to avoid flagging issues with drug abuse to an employer over drug abuse or marijuana addiction can prevent a positive test by learning how long marijuana remains in the system. This will help them to avoid smoking cannabis for long enough to affect detection time in their urine sample.

How Long Does Weed Stay In Your System After a Couple of Puffs?

The amount of time that weed stays in your system, even after only taking a couple of puffs, will depend on many factors, including:

• Your frequency of use: The more often you use weed and how much marijuana you consume, the longer it will stay in your system.
• Your body mass index (BMI): People with higher body fat percentages tend to have higher levels of THC in their fatty tissues, meaning it will take longer for the drug to be eliminated.
• Your metabolism: People with faster metabolisms clear THC from their bodies more quickly.

In general, weed may still be present and detected in cannabis tests:

• Urine: Between 3-30 days
• Blood: Traces can remain for about 1-2 days
• Saliva: Positive tests can happen for 1-3 days after smoking
• Hair: Your hair can store traces for an average of 30-90 days

It is important to note that these are just general estimates. The actual amount of time that weed stays in your system can vary significantly from person to person.

How Long Does Weed Stay In Your System Urine Test

The amount of time that weed stays in your system and can show up on a urine test can vary depending on several factors, including:

• How much cannabis you smoked or ingested before the test
• How regularly do you smoke or consume weed
• Your metabolism
• Your body fat percentage
• The sensitivity of the urine test used

In general, weed can be detected in urine up to 30 days after use. However, weed can be found in urine for much longer than this, especially in regular cannabis users or those that use cannabis for medical reasons and aim to maintain constant low levels in the body for ongoing pain relief.

If you are concerned about how long weed will stay in your system, you can talk to your doctor or a drug testing expert. They can help you understand how to speed up the process of elimination if you need to be clear of weed for in-depth health checks such as an immunoassay test and urine and blood test analysis to assess and monitor any ongoing health conditions you may have.

Your doctor or healthcare worker may suggest that you:

• Drink plenty of water. This will help to flush THC out of your system before taking a urine test.
• Exercise regularly. Exercise can also help to increase your metabolism and speed up the elimination of THC.
• Avoid smoking or ingesting weed. The more weed you consume, the longer it will stay in your system.
• Use a detox kit. Detox kits can help to remove THC from your system quickly. However, it is essential to note that detox kits are not always effective and may not work for everyone.

How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the many active compounds found in cannabis plants. It is non-psychoactive, meaning it does not produce the “high” associated with THC, another active compound in cannabis. CBD is used for various purposes, including relieving pain, reducing anxiety, and improving sleep.

The amount of time that CBD stays in your system depends on some factors, including:

• The dose of CBD: The higher the dose, the longer it will stay in your system.
• The method of administration: CBD is absorbed differently depending on how it is taken. For example, CBD taken orally will stay in your system longer than CBD taken sublingually (under the tongue).
• Frequent smokers will retain more CBD in their system than is passed on through secondhand smoke.
• Your metabolism: People with faster metabolisms tend to eliminate CBD from their bodies more quickly than people with slower metabolisms.
• Your body weight: People with higher body fat percentages tend to have more CBD stored in their fatty tissue than people with lower body fat percentages.

CBD is generally not detectable in urine or blood tests after 2-5 days. However, it can be detected in hair tests for up to 90 days.

How Much Longer Does THC Stay In The System When Eaten?

When THC is smoked, the THC metabolites are absorbed into the bloodstream through the lungs. The THC then travels to the liver, which is metabolized and converted into other chemicals. These chemicals are then excreted through urine, faeces, and sweat.

THC metabolites are absorbed into the bloodstream through the digestive system when eaten. The THC then travels to the liver, which is metabolized and converted into other chemicals. However, some THC is also stored in the body’s fat cells.

These fat cells can release THC back into the bloodstream over time, so THC can stay in the body longer when eaten.

The average detection times for THC that stays in the body after it is eaten can be different depending on varying factors, including:

• The amount of THC that is eaten
• The person’s body weight
• The person’s metabolism
• The person’s overall health

THC can generally stay in the body for 3-12 days after it is eaten. However, in some cases, it can remain in the body for longer. For example, people who are overweight or obese or have a sluggish metabolism may have traces of THC lingering in their system for up to 30 days after eating it.