How long THC stays in your system is one of the most common questions frequently asked by most consumers of THC. However, research has shown that the effect of THC might only be temporary but can be detected in the body for a few weeks or months. Also, several factors can influence the duration of THC in your system.
How Long Does it Take to Feel The Effects Of THC?
Depending on how you consume your cannabis, THC can enter the bloodstream quickly. If you smoke or vape cannabis, the effects of THC can be felt within 20 minutes. But when it is consumed orally, it takes longer to get into the blood, at least 40 minutes to an hour and a half. But this also depends on the quantity of THC taken. Some physiological factors such as rates of metabolism and dosage size determine the potency of effects.
How Long Does THC Last In The Body?
How long THC stays in your system depends on several factors, including the amount you have dosed, weight, and even metabolism. It also depends on the type of testing that you will undergo. THC is broken down and modified into molecules, also known as metabolites. They are stored in body fat and leave the body naturally over time. Most metabolites formed from THC are eliminated between 20 hours, while others reside in body fat and are eliminated from 10 to 13 days.
Type Of Tests That Looks For THC In The Body
Several tests show the existence of THC. Each of these tests has a different time frame in which they can detect THC and its metabolites in your body. The drug tests include:
Saliva
An oral drug test for psychoactive substances is a method that is used to test for driving impairment. Research has shown that this test can detect THC in your saliva for up to 24 hours after consumption. But some tests have proven to detect THC after 72 hours of use. The detection time may be longer for people who consume cannabis more frequently. THC gets into your saliva when consumed through edibles, smoke, or vaping.
Blood
Blood tests are not typically used because of the short duration that THC is detectable in the blood. When you use THC, it stays in your bloodstream for a short time. It is used during automobile accidents and sobriety checkpoints. Blood tests will show intoxication, but won’t show the degree.
Hair Test
The effectiveness of the standard urine test might be short-lived, lasting only 3 – 30 days. Hair follicle drug tests, on the other hand, can discover marijuana use for up to 90 days.
Urine Test
Urine tests look for metabolites in the body but only show recent use of cannabis and not the present impairment or intoxication. This occurs because of the time it takes for the metabolites formed by the THC to break down and be removed from the body through the urine. But urine tests can detect THC for up to and surpassing 30 days. This test is mainly used in workplaces to detect recent cannabis use.
False Positive Testing
No recognized substance will make a THC test return a false positive. Even in the workplace, THC testing is typically conducted in two separate screenings. The first entails screening the sample with an immunoassay test known as RIS or EMIT. Then if it returns a positive result, the sample is screened again with a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GCMS), which is more accurate than the first.
Factors That Influence THC In Your System
The time frame of THC in your system differs among several persons due to several factors. The things that can influence the time of THC in your system are:
● Your frequent use of THC
● The quantity of THC you consume
● The type and perceptivity of the drug test
● The percentage of your body fat
● How often you exercise
THC may stay in your system for days to several months after the last time you consumed cannabis. Its detection will depend on the factors that are distinctive to you alone. If you are a chronic user of cannabis, it may stay in your system longer than someone who consumes it intermittently.
