How Long Do Edibles Stay in Your System
Canada is transitioning into a new era of legal marijuana, but the lines of acceptable use aren’t very clear yet. The Cannabis Act still prohibits Canadians from smoking on the job or driving while high. Users have a lot of different motivations behind their marijuana consumption, but if they face stubborn employers or supervisors who implement drug tests, they might find themselves in big trouble.
The more you know about responsible consumption and the relationship between marijuana and the body, the easier it will be to avoid any negative penalties from enjoying a joint or a weed cookie in Canada.
How do edibles enter (and leave) your system?
Edibles are consumed orally.
Whether you enjoy marijuana as a cupcake, piece of chocolate, or gummy bear, the THC lies in an oil form that joins the rest of the food in your stomach. Once it reaches the stomach, your body breaks down the food. THC is then sent to the bloodstream and eventually travels up to your brain. This process can take up to an hour, which is why it takes a while for edibles to kick in.
Users know that the effects of an edible can last for hours. But where does it go when it finally leaves your body? And how long does that process take?
THC from edibles will leave the body the same way that the rest of your edibles leave the body; through urine or fecal matter. Once the THC hits the bloodstream, it will go up to the brain – but some THC will be stored in the fat cells. As the body digests our edible and detoxifies the body, THC will eventually head to the liver. The liver metabolizes the THC and stores the leftover compound (THC-COOH) in urine and fecal matter.
This entire process can take between a week and a few weeks, so chemical tests may be able to detect THC in the body long after you put down the pot brownie.
How long can tests detect edibles?
Unfortunately, there is no magic answer that will help you predict whether THC is still in your system or not. There are many factors to juggle before predicting whether or not a drug test will show up clean.
Fat Content
Since THC stays in your fat cells, the size and amount of fat in your body will impact how long THC is still present. (The larger the fat cells, the longer it will take for THC to leave the body.)
Smoking Experience
Regular smokers have more to worry about than social smokers. The more you smoke, the longer it will take for THC to flush out of your system. Occasional smokers can count on THC to leave the blood in a matter of one or two days, whereas regular smokers might have to wait at least a week.
Type of Test
There are many types of chemical tests on the market. Most employees run into the common urine test, but THC can also be detected in hair, blood, or even sweat. Different testing methods may yield different results.
Blood Tests
THC hits the bloodstream quickly after the edible reaches the stomach; it also leaves the bloodstream quickly. Occasional users shouldn’t worry about THC staying in the blood for more than one or two days, but regular smokers can count on THC remaining in the blood for up to one week.
Saliva Tests
Roadside law enforcement officers may use saliva tests to determine whether or not someone used marijuana before driving. THC stays in saliva for up to 72 hours if you are an occasional smoker, but regular smokers may test positive on a saliva test for up to one week after consumption.
Urine Tests
Pee tests are a common testing method, and they are a pretty good gauge of whether someone has consumed marijuana recently.
Even a one-hit-wonder can expect THC to stay in their urine for up to one week. Once you have tried marijuana a second or third time, that number increases to one week-two and a half weeks. Regular smokers may have THC compounds in their urine for one month, and daily smokers might need to put down the pot for up to 70 days (that’s over two months!) for marijuana to leave your urine entirely.
Hair Tests
If you hear about a hair test around the corner, run. THC can stay in hair for up to 90 days after consumption. Hair takes a long time to grow and hair tests are notorious for detecting very small amounts of THC compounds.
Tips for Getting Edibles Out of Your System
A number of variable can impact whether THC is still present in your system, but the supervisors behind your test results may not be so forgiving. If you want to flush the THC from edibles out of your system, use the following tips:
Hydrate…Now
A gallon of water or cranberry juice hours before a drug test will not affect your results. Hydrate yourself properly immediately after ingesting edibles. Cranberry juice can also help your body to detoxify and get THC out of your fat cells.
Wait To Pee (As Long As Possible)
If you have to take a urine test at home, wait as long as possible before you collect a sample. The more you wait to collect urine for a test, the better your results will be.
Hit The Gym
Burn off the fat that stores THC with a trip to the gym. A cardio workout can encourage fat burn and for THC to leave your body through sweat. However, if you are gearing up for a test in a few hours, stay as far away from the gym as possible. In order to detox during the gym, THC compounds will leave…through your bloodstream. Blood tests may be able to pick up THC even if you haven’t eaten edibles for a few days.
Stay away from fake detox products that promise to mask the presence of THC. Cannabis is a healthy, natural plant; if you are patient and stay healthy, you can flush THC compounds out of your system and pass any type of chemical test.
