While CBD’s popularity as a natural supplement continues rise, one common question is ‘Does CBD show up on a drugs test?’. Drugs tests are common place in certain professions, so it’s a question we’re keen to tackle.
As a general rule, pure CBD oil shouldn’t show up on a drug test. Tests usually search for specific amounts of THC and, in the UK, CBD only contains trace amounts. However, there are CBD tests available and with the slim possibility CBD causes a false-positive result, it’s essential to understand how it leaves your body.
Does CBD oil get you high?
Firstly, it is crucial to understand that CBD is not a psychoactive drug. As it is closely related to marijuana (also known as weed), there is some confusion around the substance. Within a cannabis plant, there are over 100 cannabinoid compounds; two of these are CBD and THC. Unlike CBD, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the compound that causes a ‘high’.
During production, farmers clone a hemp variant of the cannabis plant,which contains a low THC level compared to the marijuana variant.
When the CBD is extracted, most of the THC is removed from the product to abide by local laws. Here in the UK, any CBD product must contain less than 0.2% THC – this is not enough to cause intoxicating effects. In comparison, here at ULU, we go the extra mile and make sure our products contain less than 0.0005% THC – virtually zero.
Determining how long CBD remains in urine is not a straightforward task because different factors will affect it.
Factors that affect how long CBD stays in your system:
- Dosage: The amount of pure CBD oil you take will affect how long it stays in your body
- Frequency of use: How often you take CBD products will also impact how long it is detectable.
- The last time you consumed pure CBD oil: Whether CBD oil is detectable also depends on the last time it was taken.
- Physical factors such as genetics, metabolism, age and weight: CBD is stored in the body’s fat cells because it is fat-soluble. Consequently, Your Body Mass Index (BMI) will affect the speed of metabolism; CBD will remain in your system for longer if your body mass and weight are higher.
And of course, when CBD is combined with other essential skincare ingredients, such as natural herbs and extracts, omega oils and vitamins, the overall product will have an ‘entourage effect’ – allowing your skin to benefit from the combined overall effect of premium ingredients.
How you take your CBD can also affect how long it stays in your body. For example, a method such as vaping allows CBD to enter the bloodstream almost immediately. In contrast, capsules would take an hour or two. Some popular methods include:
- Vaping
- Capsules
- Oils
- Edibles
What urine test is used to detect CBD?
Just because you cannot feel the effects of CBD, it doesn’t mean it has left your body. In most workplaces, urine tests are the go-to option for drugs tests because alternatives like blood tests do not detect THC for long enough. Unfortunately, however, there is little research around how long CBD is detectable in the urine.
Here’s what we know:
In pharmacology, there is a term called ‘half-life’, which refers to how long it takes for a drug to reduce to half its original value. A 2016 review administered a single dose of CBD to five participants, and the average half-life came back as 27-35 hours. These figures give us an indicator of how long CBD remains in the body. Moreover, in the same year, the ‘Journal of Pain’ reported a study in which 15 participants consumed different CBD products. Two hours after consumption, all participants tested positive for CBD. Although only one subject was tested again after 24 hours, the CBD was no longer detectable.
It seems likely that if someone takes a higher dose or is a frequent CBD user, the substance is likely to stay in their body for much longer. If taking a heavy dosage of CBD, one study showed it could stay in your system for up to a week, with some detection methods extending this to a month.
How long does marijuana stay in your system?
To give us a better understanding of how the body reacts to cannabinoids, we can look at how long marijuana stays in the system? Marijuana, also referred to as weed, contains a significant THC amount, which tends to be detectable for 1 to 30 days. Studies have shown that, for people who smoke cannabis once a day or more, tests may detect it in their system for 30 days or longer.
A single dose is detectable in urine for 3 days after the last administration when it comes to THC. Although, if you’re taking regular amounts of THC (10mg-100mg), a drug test could detect it in your body for 4 days. Moreover, larger doses will be detectable for a month.
Finally, according to the Mayo Clinic, daily users could have THC metabolites detectable in their urine for as long as 15 days after the last administration. However, as we have discussed, many factors could vary this, including dosage and genetics.
Does CBD show up on a drugs test?
In most cases, it is unlikely that CBD will show up positive on a drug test. While CBD drug tests are available, they are expensive, and most cannabis tests look for the presence of THC. Alongside urine tests, there are a variety of other methods to test for the presence of drugs, including:
Blood Test:
Blood tests are rarely used because they can only detect THC for three to four hours.
Hair Test:
Although uncommon, your hair holds an abundance of information about you. Only an inch and a half of hair is used during a test – equivalent to the last 90 days of your life. Therefore most hair drug tests can detect THC up to 3 months after use. However, hair tests test the oil in the skin so can occasionally show a false positive.
Saliva Test:
Saliva tests are another uncommon method because THC is only detectable in oral liquids for up to 72 hours after consumption. This time may increase if someone uses a higher dosage or consumes THC daily.
Can CBD oil cause a false-positive test result?
Although it is unlikely, there are some reasons CBD oil may lead to a false-positive test result.
Product mislabelling:
There is little regulation around CBD; therefore, product marketing has occasionally been incorrect, and products get mislabelled. These issues are unfortunate for the reputable brands out there who ensure their product is safe and legal. Consequently, it is essential to do your research and find a brand that complies with UK laws around pure CBD oil.
Cross-contamination:
Cross-contamination during production is another reason for a false-positive result, especially if a brand makes both THC and CBD products.
Things to consider when buying pure CBD oil:
To combat these issues and ensure your CBD is legal and suitable for you, we have outlined our top tips for choosing CBD oil.
- Do your research to find a trusted brand. Look out for companies that third-party test their range. Read our lab reports here!
- Look at the amount of pure CBD oil each product contains and where the CBD comes from.
- Where possible, go for organic CBD as this is better for your body and the environment.
Summary: How long is CBD detectable in urine?
To conclude, the research regarding CBD in urine is limited, so it’s beneficial to look at similar substances and ask, how long does weed stay in your system? Looking at CBD half-life and how long marijuana remains in your body shows us that it varies from a few days, one or three months. Finally, factors such as metabolism, dosage and frequency will affect these times.
If purchasing CBD, consider the products that best suit you and remember, if you have any questions, our friendly CBD experts are just an email away.
As always, make sure u love u!
ULU CBD 