Cannabis contains a psychoactive compound called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which produces a euphoric high when consumed. This compound produces its by-products or metabolites known as fat-soluble cannabis metabolites meaning they bind to fat molecules in the body. They will remain in the body and take time to leave the system, especially those with many fat molecules.
Key Takeaways
- How long weed stays in your body depends on many factors including THC content, dosage, frequency of use, metabolism rate, and more.
- Cannabis drug tests can be detected through blood, urine, saliva, and hair.
- There is no specific way to remove weed from your body quickly but there are a few ways that may help including exercising, drinking water, and consuming fiber.
After consuming cannabis, THC can be absorbed into the body’s tissues and organs such as the brain and heart. Cannabis tends to get eliminated through feces for about 65% and about 20% leaves the body through urine while the rest is stored in the body.
How long does weed stay in your system?
Cannabis lingers in your body much longer than alcohol which typically disappears in just a few hours. How long weed will stay in your body and show on drug tests depends on these factors:
- THC Content – High-potency weed tends to have higher levels of THC which leads to THC staying in your system for longer.
- Consumption Method – Ingesting weed stays in the body for longer than the smoking method.
- THC Dosage – The effects of THC can pile up in the body meaning that an individual who smokes several times over several days has consumed a high THC dose which is more likely to test positive in the cannabis drug test.
- Frequency of Usage – Occasional users are typically able to remove the THC from their bodies faster than chronic users.
- Body Fat – THC is a fat-soluble compound meaning that fat cells store cannabis. Therefore, people with high fat concentrations may metabolize cannabis more slowly than those with less body fat.
- Metabolism Rate – Individuals with faster metabolisms would be able to metabolize or eliminate THC more quickly than those with slower metabolisms.
- Gender – Females tend to have more body fat than males, making them more likely to metabolize cannabis more slowly and more likely to be detectable for a longer time.
- Level of Hydration – Dehydration increases the THC concentrations in the body.
Cannabis Drug Test
Cannabis drug tests are designed to detect THC contained in cannabis, not cannabis itself. The detection times depend on the drug test used, how much cannabis was taken, and for how long. More frequent cannabis use means a longer time for THC to leave the body system.
Blood
This test isn’t normally used as cannabis remains in the bloodstream for only a short amount of time and THC concentrations would be decreasing rapidly about 3 to 4 hours after ingestion.
Urine
Urine testing is the most commonly used for detecting cannabis as THC maintains for the longest period in urine from a few days to several weeks after the last use depending on the frequency of usage:
- Single-use – up to 3 days after last use.
- Moderate use (approximately 4 times a week) – 5 to 7 days after last use.
- Chronic use (every day) – 10 to 15 days after last use.
- Chronic heavy use (multiple times a day for every day) – up to 30 days after last use.
Saliva
A saliva test can pick up cannabis in your system from 24 to 72 hours after the last use and this form of test is a quick method that is often used for roadside drug testing of drivers by using a mouth swab to rub the inside of the cheek or on the tongue.
Hair
A hair test can detect THC in hair follicles up to 90 days after the last use. However, hair testing for cannabis is less reliable than other drug tests because it can yield false positives. For instance, THC can be detected if you’ve been exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke or if your hair has come into contact with someone who has handled cannabis.
How to Get Cannabis Out of Your Body (aka Weed Detoxing)
Unfortunately, there is no definitive way to get cannabis out of your body faster. However, there are a few ways that may help remove cannabis from the system quicker which are to break down body fat cells, speeding up THC metabolism in the liver, and removing metabolites from the intestines. These can be done through:
- Regular exercise helps break fat cells that store THC in the body which will help the body metabolize more THC.
- Following a healthy dietary plan may also help with metabolizing THC.
- Consuming fiber will improve digestion and promote bowel movements which help the metabolism of THC.
- Drinking water may also help to remove THC from the body through urine.
Please keep in mind that there is no reliable way to speed up the excretion of THC and the drug test might come out positive even though you followed the tips above. The most important is the time of the last use of cannabis to the testing time.
Bottom Words
High levels of THC affect the duration of weed staying in your body along with many other factors such as gender, body fat, and level of hydration. These factors can also affect the cannabis drug tests which can be detected through blood, urine, saliva, and hair. Doing exercise, eating healthy, consuming fiber, and drinking water may help remove THC from the body quickly. However, there is still no definitive way to speed up THC excretion, therefore, the chances of testing positive are still available.
