How long does CBD stay in your system? This is a question that many people are asking these days. With the increasing popularity of CBD, more and more people are curious about how long it stays in their system and what kind of effects it has.

In this article, we will explore the answer to this question and discuss some of the factors that play into how CBD works, how long CBD stays in your system and more.

What is CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis plants. Unlike THC, the other well-known compound in cannabis, CBD does not produce any psychoactive effects. This means that it will not get you high or alter your state of mind in any way.

Recently, CBD has grown in popularity for its therapeutic benefits. Its products are safe to use by adults with no adverse effects. CBD has been shown to have a variety of potential health benefits, including reducing anxiety, relieving pain, and improving sleep.

Factors Affecting How Long CBD Stays In Your System

So how long does CBD stay in your system? Typically, CBD will stay in your system for two to five days. However, the same does not apply to everyone. For some users, CBD can take weeks to completely flush out of the system.

These variations depend on various factors, including dosage, frequency of use, and body metabolism. Let’s look at how these factors affect how long CBD stays in your system.

Dosage

How much CBD a person takes affects how long the product will stay in your system. As with most products, taking a higher CBD dosage will warrant a longer time that CBD takes to flush out of your system.

Usually, taking a single dose of CBD will take one day to clear out of your system. So, the more CBD you consume the longer it stays in your system.

Frequency of Use

Similarly, how often you use CBD will determine how long CBD remains in your body. So if your frequency of use is high, your body will continue to build up CBD levels.

Consequently, it will take longer to clear the system, while if you use CBD occasionally, the system will clear up the remaining CBD much faster.

Consumption Method

CBD comes in many shapes and forms. Some use it as an oromucosal spray, while others take it through IV. There are also CBD oils and smoking forms of CBD consumption.

The half-life of CBD depends on how you consume it and can therefore take various times to leave the human body.

Pills or capsules

Taking CBD supplements in the form of pills or capsule form can take a while to absorb into the body. As it passes through the digestive system and into the bloodstream, finally metabolizing in the liver, about 60 minutes will have passed. However, the effects can take roughly 7 hours to clear out of the system.

Smoking

Smoking CBD through dried flowers or a vape cartridge enters the human body through the lungs. This will propel CBD to your bloodstream in seconds and, consequently, leave your body quickly. It also means that the effects of inhaled CBD take up quickly.

CBD gummies or edibles

Taking CBD through dietary supplements will take longer to feel the effects. Typically, symptoms come through in an hour of digestion as your body takes a while metabolizing it through the digestive system.

Consequently, it will take longer to flush out of the system. However, if you consume CBD on an empty stomach, the body will metabolize CBD faster and eliminate it from your body quickly, compared to taking CBD on a full stomach.

Oils or tinctures

Another method of consuming CBD is placing drops of CBD oil or tinctures under your tongue. The human body will then absorb the CBD oil into the bloodstream.

Typically, the onset of CBD oil may take about 30 minutes, but it will last about 6 hours in your system.

CBD Topicals

When users apply CBD on the skin or hair using creams or lotions, it can take roughly two hours to take effect. Thereafter, topical CBD can take 5 hours or more to clear the system.

Physical Factors

Your body metabolism plays a crucial role in how long CBD stays in your system. This is because CBD is fat-soluble. Therefore, the body will store CBD in fat cells rather than water cells.

Consequently, the metabolic process breaks down food into energy and extracts CBD metabolites through body excretions in the form of urine.

Typically, younger people are active and therefore tend to have a faster metabolic rate. So a CBD dose will leave their body faster compared to older users.

Physical factors like the body mass index (BMI) also play a role in how long CBD takes to flush out of the system. So if a person has a higher level of body fat based on height and weight, then it will take a longer time for CBD to clear your body.

Needless to say, every person is different in their genetic build-up. So depending on your genetics and their influence on your metabolism, water content, fat content, and BMI, the time CBD remains in the body will defer.

How Long Do The Effects of CBD Last?

CBD is metabolized in the liver and excreted in the urine. The half-life of CBD is estimated to be around 18 hours, which means that it takes about this amount of time for the body to eliminate half of the CBD that you consume.

This means that if you take a single dose of CBD, it will take about two days for it to completely leave your system. However, this can vary depending on a number of factors, including how much CBD you take, how often you take it, and your individual metabolism.

Scientists measure the effects of CBD through its half-life, that is, the time taken to break down CBD molecules in the body by half.

A 2018 review of 10 studies published in PubMed Central reveals that the CBD half life can range from one hour to five days. The study also confirms that when consumed orally, the CBD half life can take one to two days.

However, physical factors like body mass index can cause more prolonged effects. This is because CBD metabolites can be stored in your body for weeks. So even if CBD molecules are extracted from your body in a few days, it’s possible to have residual metabolites stored as fat content and then broken down in potentially coming weeks.

How Does THC Relate to CBD?

CBD is often compared to THC. This is because the two are extracted from the cannabis plant. While they are similar on a molecular level, they are, in fact, extracted from two different cannabis plant species.

While CBD comes from the industrial hemp plant, THC comes from marijuana. The industrial hemp plant contains high concentrations of CBD, while marijuana contains high levels of THC.

Because of their molecular similarities, the two compounds take a similar time to clear out of the system. Most people draw close relations between the two and wonder whether CBD is also detectable in drug tests.

Well, yes and no. According to a report from the World Health Organization, CBD is a safe compound to use for therapeutic purposes, with no adverse effects. While THC will get you “high,” using a CBD isolate or other forms of the product will not cause a “high.”

That said, many hemp-derived CBD products do contain trace amounts of THC. These traces vary depending on the quality of the product you use. Typically, CBD products will sell in these three forms:

Full-spectrum CBD

Full-spectrum CBD extracts will contain all the natural compounds typically found in the cannabis sativa species. This includes THC, where traces of the compound occur in most of the cannabis plant species.

Broad-spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum CBD extracts are similar to full-spectrum CBD extracts, except they undergo preprocessing to remove the THC compounds occurring from the plant.

CBD isolate

A clear-cut option that only contains pure CBD molecules is CBD isolate products.

Consequently, measures are put in place to ensure the legal amount of less than 0.3% is found in CBD products. This is enhanced through the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the “farm bill.”

A rule of thumb is to confirm that the full spectrum of CBD extracts is hemp-derived and not the marijuana plant. But even so, some people report positive results even when they have never used marijuana, so is it, in fact, possible to detect CBD during drug tests?

Is it Possible to Detect CBD During Drug Tests?

The more straightforward answer is no. Since drug screenings aim to detect THC metabolites in your body, it should not be possible to detect CBD in these tests.

A 2020 study in PubMed Central affirms that acute dosing of pure CBD results in a negative test. However, some users report having tested positive when they have never used marijuana. This is because CBD detectable tests result in positive results when the CBD product contains other cannabinoids like THC.

Ultimately, products containing the legal amount of not less than 0.3% will not show up on most drug tests – keeping in mind that taking higher doses of full spectrum CBD oil may put you at risk of failing a drug screening.

In case you’re looking to keep using CBD products and avoid failing any drug test, then you should make sure you’re using a CBD isolate product or a broad spectrum CBD extract that expels any form of THC.

Also, make sure the CBD product you use is hemp-derived and not from marijuana. This can make all the difference from the legally required less than 0.3% THC occurrence in CBD products to over 20% THC content that will guarantee a positive drug test.

A great place to start is to inform your supervisor of your CBD journey and prescription medications to reassure them in case of any issues.

Overall, a positive drug test when you’ve not used marijuana may suggest that the CBD product you’re using has higher levels of THC than the legal amount of less than 0.3%.

So always double-check to make sure you’re buying from a brand that has third-party approval and is tested for safe use.

How Long Does CBD Stay in Different Drug Tests?

There are different ways of drug testing. Depending on the method used to detect drugs, the results can vary. Some drug tests screen minimal traces of THC, while others are not as accurate. However, consuming full spectrum cbd oil in large dosages can make you fail your drug test.

Here’s a look at some of these differences.

Urine Tests

Urine tests are the most popular form of drug testing. Whether a user tests positive depends on the dosage and frequency of use. Typically, users will test positive on a urine test between three days to two weeks from the last time of use.

So it varies widely, keeping in mind that these screenings often aim to detect THC metabolites. According to a 2016 study, CBD takes 24 hours to leave the system.

Hair Tests

Hair tests may take more extended periods to completely eliminate any traces of THC. Typically, this can take up to three months from the last time of use. However, it’s also an uncommon test for any drug screening.

Blood Tests

Sometimes, drug screenings can take the form of blood tests. Unlike hair and urine tests, bloodstreams quickly flush out THC metabolites from your system.

Generally, it can take five hours after the last time of use, though CBD can take a more extended period of about a week.

Saliva Tests

Drug screenings rarely use saliva tests. And unlike the other tests, CBD detection can take minutes to about 36 hours, depending on the dosage.

Which CBD Products Can I Trust?

While the law legally requires CBD Products to have less than 0.3% THC compound, some brands will still sell low-quality products under the guise of being safe for use. So it’s crucial to thoroughly research CBD brands you can trust before making any purchases.

To get you started, you can check out brands like Penguin, Verma Farms, FOCL, and R+R Medicinals.

Ultimately, doing thorough research will help avoid losing your money’s worth and the potentially harmful effects of other cannabinoids like THC.

Should I Take CBD When Breastfeeding?

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend taking CBD when breastfeeding. Since CBD takes at least a week to leave your system, it’s best to stop using it at least a week before breastfeeding or while pregnant.

This is because CBD stays in your bloodstream and can transfer to the baby during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. And while the effects of CBD on breastfed babies remain unclear, it’s best to avoid posing any risks to the child.

Additionally, some products may cause harmful levels of THC metabolites and other compounds that may pose risks to the child.

Wrapping Up: How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System?

So how long does CBD stay in your system? Well, it depends on several factors. Generally speaking, it can take two to five days for CBD to flush out of your system. However, factors like slower metabolism, higher doses, and regular CBD oil usage can lead to the compound taking several weeks to leave the system.

Since CBD builds up in your body over time, buying CBD-infused products from a trustworthy brand is key to avoiding the harmful effects of high levels of THC.

If you’re buying from a reputable, third-party-approved brand, it’s less likely to fail a drug test. Most products will contain a legal amount of less than 0.3% THC. These amounts are often too minimal to cause a positive drug test.

As a rule of thumb, always purchase legal CBD products that guarantee safe, effective, and legal use. It’s also crucial to consult a physician before buying any CBD products if you have a serious medical condition. In case you’re struggling with substance abuse, deciding to get help is always a significant first step towards full recovery.