Even though marijuana is legal medicinally in many states and recreationally in some, marijuana users may still have to take drug tests for work or legal matters and can get in trouble if they fail a drug test. Whether you are a medical marijuana user or a recreational user, you may be concerned about how long weed (THC) stays in your system.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical in marijuana or weed that makes you feel high. THC can stay in your system for between 1 and 30 days depending on how often and how much marijuana you use as well as the type of drug test you have to take. With that being said, if you are abusing marijuana and are addicted to the drug, you may not be able to stop smoking weed even with a drug test coming up. This is a sign that you’re struggling with addiction and need to seek professional help.

Marijuana Detection Times on Drug Tests

How long weed can be detected in your system varies a lot depending on various factors. One of the biggest influences is how often you smoke marijuana. Someone who smokes weed one time will be able to eliminate the single dose from their body faster than someone who smokes once or more a day. As a result, tests may detect THC in a first-time user’s body for three days while they may detect THC in a chronic user for one month or more.

The detection time is also influenced by the detection window of the type of drug tests used. Estimated marijuana detection times based on drug test type are as follows:

Urine Tests

Urine testing is the most common type of drug test used to screen for THC. Weed is detectable in urine for:[1]

• 3 days in occasional users
• 5-7 days in moderate users
• 10-15 days in chronic users
• 30+ days in chronic heavy users (smoking multiple times a day every day)

The reason why marijuana stays in your system so long is that cannabis metabolites and THC are fat-soluble. This means THC binds to fat molecules in your body and takes a long time to leave the system.

Hair Tests

Traces of THC reach the hair follicles via small blood vessels. All substances can be detected in the hair follicle for up to 90 days. However, your hair may test positive for marijuana even if you haven’t smoked it if you have been around secondhand marijuana smoke or if someone who has been touching marijuana touches your hair.[2]

Blood Tests

Blood tests are rarely used to screen for drugs for employment or probation, however, they may be used for medical reasons. These tests have a very short detection window and can only detect weed in your system for 1-2 days. Blood tests can detect THC in the blood within seconds of using it, so these tests can be used to detect recent marijuana use.[3]

Saliva Tests

Saliva tests have a very brief detection window in occasional marijuana users of 1-3 days, however, saliva tests can detect THC in chronic users for up to 29 days.[4]

Factors That Influence How Long Weed Stays in Your System

The detection times listed above are estimates because there is no way to know exactly how long marijuana will stay in your system. This is because the duration is dependent on many different factors, including:

• Frequency and duration of marijuana use – If you have been smoking weed for a long time and use the drug multiple times a day, you will have a buildup of THC metabolites in the fat cells of your body. This means it is going to take longer for the drug to leave your system because there is a higher concentration of it in your body.
• Marijuana potency – Some weed is very potent and has a lot of THC, while other strains are weaker. The more potent the weed you smoke is, the longer it will stay in your system.
• Weight, body fat, and metabolism – THC is stored in fat cells, so people with more body fat may take longer to metabolize it.[5] Similarly, those with fast metabolisms may get the substance out of their system faster.

How Can I Get Weed Out of My System Faster?

There are many gimmicks you can buy online or in smoke shops as well as “hacks” you may find online that promise to provide you with a passing drug test, however, none of these are proven to work.

The truth is there isn’t much you can do to get marijuana out of your system faster. Once you’ve used the drug, your body needs time to metabolize it and break it down. Even once the effects of a substance have worn off, its metabolites can stay in your system for days or weeks–and there’s nothing you can do about that.

The best thing to do is to stop using marijuana and ride out the time until you have to take your drug test.

Help for Marijuana Abuse and Addiction

If you find yourself needing to get weed out of your system but are unable to stop using the drug even if your well-being depends on it, you are likely addicted. While many people think you can get addicted to marijuana, you can get addicted to any mood or mind-altering substance. Fortunately, effective treatment is available.

At Rehab Recovery Centers, our team is available 24-hours a day to take your call, assess your needs, and help you find the right addiction treatment center for you. Don’t wait any longer to find the help you deserve. Call now to get started.

References:

1. https://academic.oup.com/jat/article-abstract/19/6/443/774147
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2274831/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3717336/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3823692/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2782342/