Weed is commonly known as cannabis or marijuana is usually detected in the body fluids for 1 to 30 days. But with other drugs, it may be detectable in hair for several months.
Weed detection depends on the amount of weed you ingest or smoke and how often you do it. Higher doses and frequent use will detect it for a longer time. For daily users, weed van be detected for several months after the last use. The longest detection that was reported was more than 90 days. You can buy cannabis concentrates Canada online.
How long is it detective through drug testing?
The by-products or metabolites of weed stay in the system even after the effect of weed wears off. Drug tests measure the weed and its by-products or metabolites.
Urine testing
Urine testing is the most common testing method. Weed is detectable in urine for the below duration of time after the last use:
- Occasional users: up to 3 days
- Moderate users: between 5 – 7 days
- Daily users: up to 10 – 15 days
- Heavy users: more than 30 days
Cannabis is fat-soluble so they bind to the fat molecules that is why it takes them time to leave your system.
Blood testing
Weed is typically detectable in blood for 1 – 2 days. But there are a few cases where it is detectable even after 25 days. It is detectable in the bloodstream within a few seconds of inhalation. It gets distributed through tissues. Some of the weed gets reabsorbed in the blood and is further broken down. This leaves its metabolites in the blood for days.
The blood testing method is used in the laboratory to indicate the recent use of weed.
Saliva testing
In a review of 2014, it was found out that weed was detectable in the saliva for the below duration of time after the last use:
- Occasional users: 1 – 3 days
- Frequent users: 1 – 29 days
Weed can enter the saliva at the time of smoking but its metabolites remain in the saliva even after it has been smoked.
In the places where weed is legal, saliva testing is used for roadside testing.
Hair testing
Hair follicles testing assess the drug use for up to 90 days. After smoking weed, it reaches the hair follicles through blood vessels. so traces are found in the hair. As the growth of the hair is 0.5 inches per month so if you take a 1.5-inch hair segment closer to the scalp then it can detect if the weed was used in the past three weeks.
How long does it take to breakdown?
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is a chemical substance that is the active ingredient in weed. it is commonly called THC. THC enters your body and is absorbed by the blood. Some of it is temporarily stored in organs and fatty tissues. In kidneys, THC is reabsorbed in bloodstreams whereas it is broken down in the liver.
Weed has 80 metabolites but the significant ones are 11-OH-THC and THCCOOH. The drug tests look for these in your body as they stay in the system for a longer time. Eventually, they are flushed out of the system through urine and stool.
What factors are related to how long they stay in the system?
A number of factors affect the duration of weed in the system. Some of these factors are age, gender and body mass index (BMI) that are not only related to the drug but also with how your body processes and metabolizes it. The other factors are related to weed and the amount and frequency of taking it.
When you take higher doses and have frequent usage then it takes a longer time to eliminate it from the system. The duration also depends on the form of consumption. The weed that is ingested stays in your system longer than the one you smoke.
Is there any way to break it down faster?
There is no way to speed up the time for weed to leave your system. The moment it enters your system, your body needs time to break it down. There are a few things like exercising, having a healthy diet and keeping yourself hydrated that can help but there are no drastic results seen.
You will find many weed detox kits online. Many of them include drinking a lot of water to dilute your urine and then using supplements like vitamin B-12 or creatinine to cover up the dilution. But these are not reliable.
How long does it take to feel its effect?
You will experience the effect quickly usually it is within 15-20 mins after smoking it. But when you ingest it then it may take 1 – 2 hours to feel its effect.
Common effects of weed are:
- sense of relaxation
- sense of well-being
- feeling that time is slowing down
- giggling or chatting a lot
- altered sensory perception
Other effects are:
- inability to focus
- sleepiness
- increased appetite
- coordination problem
- restlessness
- increase in heart rate
- confusion
- feeling sick
- dizziness
- dry mouth and eyes
- anxiety
In rare cases, if you take high doses then it can cause hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis.
Smoking or ingesting weed can cause risks like :
- cognitive impairments
- learning impairments
- memory impairments
- mood disorders like anxiety or depression
- hallucinations
- respiratory illness like bronchitis and lung infections
- cardiovascular diseases like heart disease and stroke
You should avoid using weed when you are pregnant or breastfeeding because there are chances that your baby can develop birth defects or problems with brain development.
How long does it take for the effects to wear off?
Weed’s effect tends to wear out after 1 – 3 hours. You might experience some problems like memory issues and trouble sleeping for a few days. But researchers do not know how long the effect lasts in people who are frequent users. The long-term effect can last for weeks or months after the last use and there are chances that some effects are permanent.
So, weed can stay in your system from several days to several months after the last use.
