Imagine getting closer to securing the job of your dream. You get a call for pre-employment screening, and you are an infrequent or habitual user of weed. Even though marijuana is legalized in many states and is being increasingly used to treat chronic pain, some companies still have a workplace drug testing policy. Therefore, you need to be aware of how long does marijuana stay in your system if you want to pass the pre-employment screening and any drug tests in the future. Or you an edible user and wondering, how can you dry out weed.
If you will surf the net, you may find recommendations to use detox drinks or pills. But what is the mechanism of such things? How to use it right?
As long as employees are informed about the screening policy based on illicit substance use, workplaces can implement these policies whether or not the state has legalized the use of marijuana.
In the USA, marijuana is still a federally illicit drug. However, 18% or 48.2 million Americans used weed or marijuana at least once in 2019. Therefore, even if you have used it once or have been using it as a prescription, you need to understand how long does marijuana stay in your system if you want to remain awry of the complexities in your workplace if marijuana shows up on a drug test. Trying to beat a drug test, a lot of people use detoxifying pills and drinks. A bit lower you can see an example of such a remedy, Toxin Rid.
What does a Drug Test do?
A drug test works by testing your system of marijuana traces. A drug test can be conducted in the following ways:
- Saliva Test: A saliva test is conducted by taking a mouth swab that takes your saliva and tests it for THC, the active marijuana component. ( to beat such kind of test, you may use detox drinks and pills: Stinger Detox, Xxtra Clean Cleansing Drink, etc)
- Urine Test: A urine test is one of the most common ways to detect marijuana or any other drugs in your system. ( despite pills and drinks, you may try synthetic urine: Sub Solution Urine Kit, Clear Choice Quick Luck, etc)
- Hair Follicle Test: This might come as a surprise if you are not aware of drug tests, but hair follicle is one of the most reliable ways to gather traces from your system. This is because the protein in your hair retains traces of marijuana or other drugs longer than any other body part. This is also used for legal proceedings and is not so common in the workplace. ( one of the most difficult tests to beat due to the high resistance of metabolites in hair follicles. Detox shampoos may help: Zydot Ultra Clean, Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid, etc)
- Blood Test: Marijuana and other drugs are also tested through traces in the blood. This is because while the effects of the drug might not be there, it is absorbed into the cells and slowly released back into the bloodstream.
While there are a lot of ways to test the traces of any drug in your system, every body part retains THC traces for different lengths of time. Some parts like saliva and blood may contain traces of THC and other drugs for a couple of days for the infrequent user and remain traceable for a longer time in urine and hair follicles.
How Long Does Marijuana Stay in your System?
Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is one of the psychoactive components in marijuana. It is absorbed into the blood and in the fat cells before it is released back into your system and gets out of your body through sweat, urine, and stool.
Why must you know about Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is connected to the fact that it is the main component of marijuana and the drug tests work by detecting THC and its metabolites in your system.
The drug test includes an analysis of the THC levels in blood, urine, saliva, or hair, which determines whether or not you have taken marijuana or weed in the past few days. This is because some of these parts of your body are how THC secretes out of your system. Hair, on the other hand, has fat cells or protein that stores THC for longer than any other body part. Cleansing the hair follicle is extremely challenging.
Even though there are a lot of factors that impact how long weed stay in the system and is detectable, here is a table that summarizes how long does THC take to get out of your system on average:
The above table is just a summary and estimation of how long marijuana stay in your system after your last drug intake. If you intake drug in between the time, the traceability increases.
Let us understand how THC works and how it is traced before getting on to the factors that impact the longevity of the traceability of the drug metabolites.
( Picture - example of detox drink, Mega Clean Herbal Cleanse)
What is THC and How it is Metabolized?
While the effects of marijuana or weed, or pot fade away quickly and might not hinder your work performance, it is essential to understand that it will be detectable in your system for more than a few months as well.
THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana, is first processed by the stomach then absorbed into the body tissues, mostly the fat cells. It is then slowly released back into the bloodstream, from which it is carried to the liver, where it is metabolized.
THC is metabolized into more than 80 metabolites. Usually, drug tests look for these metabolites since they stay in the body much longer than THC and are traceable through urine and hair most reliably. Some common metabolites of THC are THCCOOH (11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and 11-OH-THC (11-hydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).
No need to fret over these complex names, you just need to know how long the metabolites stay in your system and the factors that impact the time they can be detected through a drug test.
How long THC stay in your system for a urine test depends solely on your usage frequency. Regardless, THC and its metabolites trace stay in pee much longer than in the bloodstream and saliva. This is the reason urine is the most commonly used for drug testing because weed stay in your blood system for just a few hours or a couple of days at most.
The next subsection covers the factors that influence how long marijuana and its metabolites remain traceable in your system depending on the type of drug test you are required to take.
How Long Does it take Weed to Leave System – Influencing Factors
If you have consumed marijuana just once, you can expect that your system gets rid of the THC and its metabolites in little time. However, the more you consume it, the more the chance is that it is detectable in the system for longer. Furthermore, the time the toxins take to flush out of your body is calculated from your last use of the drug.
If you are a frequent user of marijuana or any other drug, it is not possible for you to abstain for a long time for you to go undetected on a drug test.
Apart from frequency, there are also other factors that impact how long does marijuana stay in your system like the concentration of THC in the marijuana you are consuming and even your body weight.
Factors Influencing how long Does Weed Stay in your Hair Follicles.
Hair is now being increasingly used for drug testing in the workplace. This is because hair follicles reveal much more about the person's historical usage of drugs like cannabinoids, weed, opiates, and cocaine.
An interesting thing to note is that the detection varies based on the part from which hair is taken for the drug test. This can be quite surprising that while the hair on the head holds drug evidence for up to 90 days, hair taken from other parts of the body may hold evidence for over a year.
Factors Influencing how long does THC stay in Saliva Glands.
A mouth swab drug test is used to detect THC through your saliva. In this case, too, detection times vary based on whether you are an infrequent or chronic user.
If you have used it once, one joint stay in your system for a couple of weeks. However, the traces go away in saliva in up to 48 hours. If you are a frequent user and do not abstain from it before your drug test for at least 15 days, it is highly likely that saliva glands will contain traces of THC and its metabolites which can show up in the mouth swab drug test.
Factors Influencing how long Pot stay in Blood
Since THC houses itself in the fat tissue, those with a higher BMI probably have higher detection rates in the bloodstream. Those with an average BMI have traces of weed leaving the system in 36 hours, give or take 10 hours. However, with higher weight, the detection rates may go up to 5 days or more depending on the individual's weight.
Many individuals exercise excessively before a drug test to make sure the fat cells release the THC traces that it has retained and it secretes out of the system through sweat, urine, or stool.
Factors Influencing how long will THC stay in urine.
Even though the effects of pot or weed last for a couple of hours, it is highly traceable through urine. The weed usage might be medical or recreational, but not impact your work performance. However, if you are a heavy user or have been using it as per the doctor’s prescription, you can have weed detectable in urine for up to 90 days.
Also, if you have a BMI above the normal range, the detection rates through urine are higher. This is because THC gets stored in fat cells, which get secreted into the blood and eventually pass out through urine and stool. A lot of people use Urinator for Synthetic Urine if they have no time to prepare.
So, whether or not you are a frequent weed user for any purpose, then chances are that you might fail the test if you are not clever about it. Even if your weed consumption does not impact your work performance, drug tests can affect your chances of working even though companies are supposedly bound by anti-discrimination laws against users of the drug.
So, the next subsection focuses on how to pass the different drug tests.
Types of Drug Tests and How to Go Undetected
Before an employer conducts a drug test, you should receive a notice in writing. Furthermore, they should only conduct the test after they have given you a job offer and not a part of the selection process. You should know this because if your employer has not notified you of the drug test beforehand, you can raise legal charges.
It is quite possible to fail the drug test anywhere between 1-90 days, even if you have used marijuana once or infrequently. Therefore, to be on the safe side, it is helpful to have backup plans to make sure you go undetected on the drug test.
Since companies are required to notify you of a drug test beforehand, if you are a sparse or heavy user of marijuana, you have ample time to make use of strategies to get your body rid of toxins to pass the drug test.
How to Pass the Drug Tests
The variance rate of the detection varies quite a lot depending on the sample taken, your body weight, the amount of marijuana consumed, and the frequency of the use. So, you can never be 100% sure how you can pass the test unless you have not consumed marijuana in the past few weeks in case of a urine test, or a couple of months in case of a hair follicle test or if you are an avid user. This is because an avid user can have a greater THC traceability in even blood tests which have the least retention of THC traces out of the other forms.
Here are some ways to go undetected through the following tests that have been tried and tested by a lot of people:
1. Urine
The urine test done for marijuana detection is based on detecting the primary pharmacological component of marijuana. This is the metabolite 11-nor-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (9-carboxy-THC).
80-90% of the total dose of the metabolite is excreted through urine and stool within five days, depending on the user type (heavy or infrequent use, bodyweight). While urine has a higher percentage of excreting THC metabolites (20% only) and stool has a 65% excretion rate, a frequent user can have THC metabolites detectable over a few weeks, too.
Urine also contains traces of other metabolites which are detectable by the urine test. So while there is no way to be sure whether you can go undetected on your urine test after a few weeks have passed, there is no harm in being 100% sure about the test sample you give.
How to pass urine drug test section
There are two ways to pass the urine drug section. The first way is freeing your body from the toxins through a detox. The other way is to use synthetic ways to pass the test in case you cannot abstain from using weed a couple of days before your drug test, or if you have little time before the test. Also, you can use synthetic urine.Toxin Rid for THC detox
Toxin Rid is one of the best ways to make sure to clean weed out of your system naturally. Toxin Rid works by cleansing your system. However, determining the number of days before you should start with the toxin rid kit for passing the test depends on your usage and other factors that have been extensively discussed in the previous section.
An upcoming drug screening calls for detoxifying your body through Toxin rid. If you have a large number of toxins in your body, it is safe to start with the Toxin Rid kit days before the test. These kits are also manufactured explicitly for different cases. So, you can choose the type of kit best for you. They have a range of one to ten-day courses which when done rightly, get rid of toxins from your body and allow you to pass the urine drug test.
Here are some directives that can help you use Toxin Rid effectively for passing your drug test securely:
- You can take as many as 15 Toxin Rid pills in a day. These should be spaced out at five-hour intervals. Three tablets are to be taken every five hours for a ten-day regime. You need to be extremely strict about your dosage so your body can get rid of the toxins within the ten0day period.
- On the drug test day, you should use the liquid detox with two cups of water. You should use half the quantity.
- You should consume the remaining half of the liquid detox after two hours of the first use, and similar to the second step, take it with two cups of water.
- When a few hours remain in your test, use the dietary fiber from the Toxin Rid kit. It helps cleanse out the residue in your blood. While it will make you pee more, the excretion means that you have successfully flushed out any of the leftover toxins from your body.
Backup Plan - Synthetic Urine
If you are still unsure of Toxin Rid getting the toxins out of your body, you may also consider synthetic urine, which will get you to pass the test with 100% surety. Lower, you can see Quick Fix, the product that you should not take orally ( if you are concerned about it) and it does not demand any preparations. And, it comes without the hassle!
Also, if your company has notified you of the drug test a couple of days before in which case it is impossible to flush out toxins from your body if you are an avid user, this option is a great one to make sure that you pass the test.
Testclear Powdered Human Synthetic Urine is a great way to assure that you have passed the test. While there are also many pre-mixed products in the market, the powdered substance, when mixed with water, begins to absorb some bacteria from the atmosphere and begins to spoil. Therefore, it smells like urine which passes the smell test and the tester cannot detect if it is a synthetic solution.
2. Hair
The most common hair follicle test is the 5-panel test which tests the follicles for opiates, THC, PCP, cocaine, and amphetamines.
With hair retaining the traces of weed longer than any other sample source, it is also one of the most commonly used testing devices in legal matters. You can try detox shampoo.
How to pass the hair drug test section
There are a few ways to pass the hair drug test by damaging the hair protein which stores THC traces.
Macujo Method
While the original Macujo Method only worked for Marijuana removal for moderate levels, if you have other drugs that can be traced through the hair or high levels of THC in the system, you can't risk failing the test.
Many other Macujo methods work more effectively than the original Macujo method. So, if you can't risk failing a hair test for marijuana, you can follow the following steps for getting rid of toxins using the Mike's Macujo Method:
- The first step is to wash your hair thoroughly with the Aloe Rid. You should rinse it off well, and then towel dry your hair.
- Get a large bowl and fill it with the baking soda solution in the kit. Add warm water to the powder and get a gravy or marinara sauce-like consistency. Make sure it doesn't clump up. You should massage your hair with this mixture for 5-7 minutes. You should then rinse it off and towel dry.
- The kit also includes a clean and clear astringent that you should spray on your entire head. Make sure you cover every part of your head and massage from 5-7 minutes. Have a towel ready and wipe anything that drips down since the astringent is in a liquid water-like consistency and is the strongest chemical in the entire kit. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
- You can apply Vaseline around your ears and forehead to prevent a rash from the astringent. Another option is to wear a shower cap.
- Thirty minutes after the Astringent sits in your hair, take a small dap of liquid tide and scrub your hair follicles for 3-7 minutes. It would help if you rubbed it until it felt like an abrasive. Try not to make it foamy and rinse it off well.
- Apply Aloe Rid again after the tide and wash it off.
- The next step is to spray your hair with vinegar. Make sure you cover every part of your head and saturate it. You should massage it thoroughly into the hair and not rinse it off. You can pat dry with a towel.
- You should repeat the entire process depending on the toxin level in your body. Lastly, wash off with the Aloe Rid to ensure your hair does not smell like laundry or vinegar.
Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid
Using the correct method, the Old Style Aloe Toxin Rid is a time-tested way to get your hair ready for drug testing. There are two methods to using the old-style toxin rid. One is the Macujo Method and the other the Jerry G., which uses dye and bleach to damage the hair.
The Macujo method uses baking soda and tide to destroy the protein in the hair that works the same way. But any method you use, the old-style aloe toxin rid is a great way to get your hair ready for your hair follicle test.
3. Saliva
Weed can be detectable in saliva for up to 29 days if you are a heavy user. However, apart from a mouthwash solution, there is nothing much you can do to pass this test.
How to pass mouth swab test section:
Apart from a toxin flush, there is another way to get a false negative on the drug test if you are supposed to get a saliva test. Your company will notify you of the type of drug test they will conduct so you can be prepared to get a 100% surety in passing the drug test.
Toxin Rid Rescue Wash Mouthwash
The Toxin Rid Rescue Wash Mouthwash is a small one-ounce bottle that needs to be used a few minutes before your test. This will make sure that the test is clear because the mouth-swab test is taking the mouthwash and not your saliva.
Here are the simple steps for passing the swab test section:
- A few minutes before your oral test, put one-third of the solution in your mouth and hold it in for three minutes. You should then spit it out.
- Do this two more times with the remaining solution.
4. Blood
In the bloodstream, weed can be detected for up to 36 hours. Unfortunately, there is nothing much you can do to directly pass the blood test.
However, you can always use the toxin rid used for passing the urine test to get rid of toxins in your body. This is the best way to clean your system for a drug test.
FAQs
1. Who may be considered as a frequent user?
Someone who uses marijuana 4-5 times during a month may be considered as an infrequent user. If this rate goes up to 4-5 times a week, the person may be considered a frequent user of marijuana.
For the frequent users, the traces of weed stay in the system for up to three months after the abstinence period. However, frequent users are likely to have withdrawal effects of marijuana which is why it is very hard to assess how long pot stay in blood when a frequent user reduces their use to once or twice a week before a drug test.
2. Is it possible to force metabolize?
The fat cells in the body store THC which is then released into the bloodstream little by little and metabolized in the liver from where it passes out of the system through urine and stool.
The toxin rid solution makes it possible to rid the body of THC. It does this by removing the toxins in the body. However, there is no one-day solution to get THC out of your system fast that you can do a few hours before the test.
Force metabolizing also requires a ten-day period at least for a heavy user. Also, the user must not stray away from the program and make sure they are consuming the doses within the recommended time periods.
Furthermore, the individual should not use any drugs during this 10-day phase. Getting rid of toxins and force metabolizing requires consuming pills over a ten-day period, and using the liquid detox, and dietary fiber on the day of the test.
3. Is it possible to receive a false-positive test for THC?
It is possible to receive a false positive test for THC if you are having a urine test, a hair test, or a saliva test. You can use synthetic urine for giving a false positive on the test. However, synthetic urine in powdered form is better since it smells more like urine than the pre-mixed solutions.
Receiving a false positive for the hair follicle test requires an abrasive treatment using vinegar and other materials like baking powder or hair dye which destroys the protein in the hair that makes it possible to detect THC.
For the saliva test, using a mouthwash moments before the test can help get a false positive. However, it is pretty hard to do that because once you're in for the test, they might make you wait. The bottle of mouthwash is quite small, making it easy to sneak in and use before the test.
Conclusion
The question of how long does marijuana stay in your system does not have a single answer. It depends on the weight of the person, the frequency of consumption, and the amount of marijuana consumed. It is quite possible that even if you have consumed weed a couple of times, you still get it in your drug test after several weeks.
Marijuana or THC and its metabolites are detectable in different parts of your body/ secretions at different times. Hair has traceable THC longer than any other testing part. Blood gets rid of THC traces most quickly.
If you have a drug test coming up, it is wise to use solutions that can help you force metabolize or get a false positive on the drug test. So, depending on the type of drug test you will take, you can take the proper measures to make sure that you pass your test.
We described the most popular methods of coping with such situations: detox pills, drinks, kits, and even some alternatives.
Your employer is required to notify you of a drug test in writing. Therefore, you can have ample time to make sure you can detoxify, force metabolize or get prepared for a false positive for passing the drug test and securing the job of your dreams.
Still have questions? Read more.
