Medical marijuana is legal in 38 states, and recreational marijuana is legal in 18 states, meaning most Americans now have access to marijuana. This growth in popularity driven by legalization has opened up a billion-dollar market with many consumers eager to get on the train. But these consumers have questions; they want to know more about the wonder drug and how their bodies react to it.
Specifically, people are asking questions like, “How long does marijuana stay in the body?” “How long does edible marijuana stay in your system?” and “How long does marijuana vape stay in your system?” As much as we’d love to give you a straightforward numerical answer, just like cannabis, the answer is a bit more complex. However, Elevate Holistics here to explain.
So, if you’re interested in knowing how long marijuana stays in your system and how to help get it out, we’ll walk you through all of it.
How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your System?
One characteristic of marijuana is that it tends to stick around. You get together with friends, smoke some pot, have a high time, and go your separate ways, but long after you’ve come down from the high, compounds in marijuana known as cannabinoids can still be detected in your body.
These compounds are fat-soluble, meaning they can dissolve in fat. When the body absorbs them, they dissolve and bind to the fat molecules in your body, making it difficult for the body to get rid of them quickly.
Factors to Consider
So, exactly how long does marijuana stay in the body? There’s no straight answer to this; the duration of cannabis in your body depends on a few factors such as:
- Frequency of cannabis use: The more you use cannabis, the longer it will last in your body. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most present compound in cannabis, lasts longer in regular users than for occasional users. So, how long does THC last in the body? It depends on how often you ingest it.
- Cannabis consumption quantity: With cannabis, size matters. The more marijuana you consume, the longer it will remain in your system. Just as it will take your body a longer period to digest a large meal and a shorter period to digest a smaller meal, it will take your body longer to break down and expel large quantities of marijuana compared to smaller amounts.
- Your Body’s Metabolic Rate: All bodies are not created the same; one key difference in our bodies is the metabolic rate – the rate at which your body uses up energy – and it’s another factor that contributes to how long cannabis lasts in your system. If your metabolic rate is high, your body will break down cannabis faster. The reason is simple; a high metabolic rate means your body is working quickly and burning up energy faster. Genetics, gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) are other factors that determine how long marijuana lasts in your system.
How Your Body System Effects How Long Marijuana Stays in Your Body
As mentioned earlier, our body systems are different, and they process cannabis in different ways and speeds. That’s why traces of cannabis can last for varying durations depending on body type. These durations are only estimates determined from research; they are not fixed. Cannabis can be detected in blood, urine, saliva, and hair tests at varying durations.
How Long Does THC Last in The Body?
THC is the active compound in cannabis and is usually the cannabinoid that employers and law enforcement test for in drug tests. That’s why concerned users ask, “how long does THC last in the body?” THC remains in the body for 1-2 days after consumption. However, for regular consumers of cannabis, it is possible to detect THC in their systems for 25 days after consumption.
How Long Does Cannabis Stay in Saliva?
One hour after consumption, a test can detect THC in your saliva. THC can be detected in the saliva 24-72 hours after consumption.
How Long Will Cannabis Stay in Urine For?
THC and other compounds found in cannabis can be detected in your urine 4-8 days after consumption. If you use cannabis regularly, it will show up in your urine 50 to 65 days after use.
What About Your Hair?
Your hair retains THC and other cannabis compounds longer than any other system or part of your body. Hence, cannabis can be detected in your hair up to 90 days after consumption.
Does Weed Stay in Your Blood or Urine Longer?
While cannabis lasts for 4-8 days in your urine, it can be detected in your blood only for up to 36 hours or 1-2 days. However, if you use cannabis regularly, it will remain in your blood for up to 25 days.
So how long does marijuana stay in the body? There’s no standard duration for determining how long marijuana stays in the body. This duration is determined mainly by biological factors and your lifestyle.
How Long Do Different Types of Medical Marijuana Stay in Your System?
In addition to the factors discussed above, the types of cannabis you consume can influence how long the drug remains in your system.
For instance, consumers often ask, “how long does edible marijuana stay in your system?” While edibles can keep you high for hours, they also stay in the body for longer. When you consume edibles, they must first be digested in the stomach and then processed by your liver. As a result, the THC gradually trickles into your bloodstream and delivers a high that lasts for much longer.
Because the THC passes through your digestive system, it will remain detectable in your system – most likely your urine – a bit longer than if you smoke it.
If you want to consume edibles, it’s best to do so on a free day when you have nothing to do so that the hours-long high won’t disrupt your routine. Of course, you should avoid edibles if you have work to do.
Another popular method of cannabis consumption is vaping, which begs the question, “how long does marijuana vape stay in your system?”
When you smoke or vape cannabis, your high won’t last as long as when you consume edibles, and the cannabinoid won’t be detected in your body after 2 days if you’re not a frequent or heavy smoker.
This is also dependent on the potency or concentration of THC and CBD present.
THC vs. CBD: Does One Stay Longer?
The primary compounds in cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD); these compounds give cannabis its therapeutic qualities. When you consume cannabis, THC is absorbed by your body, broken down, and temporarily stored in organs and fatty tissues. Then body gradually eliminates the THC stored over several days via urine and feces.
THC can last about 10-14 days in the body, but this all depends.
By comparison, CBD won’t show up in drug tests. However, if your CBD contains high amounts of THC, it can be detected in tests. CBD can last in your body for 2-5 days, but it depends on how often you take it, how much you take, and your body type.
So if your question is, “how long does marijuana stay in the body?” THC stays in your system longer than CBD, but we can’t be too sure because both cannabinoids are stored in your fatty tissue and can be detected in a blood test for weeks after consumption.
How to Clear Marijuana from Your System
There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation regarding how you can get rid of marijuana from your system. Methods touted as effective include drinking cranberry juice and vinegar. However, these have not been proven to work.
The good news is that we know proven methods you can use to clear your system of cannabis. These include:
- Natural Detox: Your body is naturally programmed to detoxify itself. This natural process is the best and recommended way to clean cannabis from your system; stop consuming cannabis and give your body time to expel it completely. It is essential to follow proper dieting and hydration when using this method. Although it takes longer, this method is the safest, and in 4-6 weeks, cannabis won’t be detected in your system.
- Exercise: Remember when we mentioned metabolic rate as one factor affecting how long cannabis stays in your body? You can make it work for you. When you exercise, you make your body burn energy, and the more energy it burns, the faster it breaks down and expels cannabis from your system.
- Detox Teas: Beverages like lemon, mint, and watermelon have diuretic properties, which increase the amount of urine expelled from the body. The more you urinate, the more THC you remove from your body. Nevertheless, if your goal is to find a marijuana detox drink for a drug test, remember to weigh the pros and cons before choosing this method.
All of Your Cannabis Consumption Questions Answered
Elevate Holistics is here to make sure you’re well informed when it comes to cannabis consumption. It’s always crucial to remember that cannabis is illegal except in states with legalized MMJ programs.
So, if you happen to live in any of the states where cannabis is legal, getting your MMJ card is the best way to get high-quality, potent products. Don’t have a medical cannabis card? We know someone who can assist you. (Hint: it’s us.)
Elevate Holistics offers you a convenient platform with doctors who can get you all the guidance required for your medical card and more. Through us, you don’t have to wonder, “How long does marijuana stay in the body?” “How long does edible marijuana stay in your system” or “How long does marijuana vape stay in your system” any longer.
Need help with your process or answers to more canna-related questions? Feel free to contact us.
