Originally appeared on algoramhealth.com
From athletes to office workers, consumers are asking about CBD and drug tests.
“Will I fail a drug test if I use CBD?”
If this is you, first ask yourself, “Is there pulp in orange juice?”
The answer to both questions is, yes and no.
Cannabinoids
The popular cannabis-derived compound known as CBD (cannabidiol) is legal in the United States and should not, by itself, trigger a failed drug test. The trouble some run into is consuming a product that contains trace amounts of THC.
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the cannabinoid known to produce the high associated with marijuana. This is what can derail a drug test.
Most CBD products are extracted from the hemp plant, which by U.S. law means a cannabis strain containing less than 0.3% THC.
Check the label
You can’t always trust labels unless you’ve further vetted the manufacturer. But your CBD product should tell you if it’s Full Spectrum.
Full Spectrum CBD products offer you a range of added health benefits (the entourage effect) owing to their inclusion of all of the compounds that are present in the plant. That means you’re getting at least some THC, and this could show on a drug test.
But back to trust. The label might claim “Broad Spectrum” (many compounds but no THC) or CBD isolate, which is just what it sounds like – CBD only. These give you a better chance of passing a drug test, if the label is accurate. So choose carefully.
But really, how much THC is too much?
It depends.
Just because you’ve passed a test doesn’t mean there is zero THC in your body. You have, however, successfully come in under the cutoff value used by your organization.
The Mayo Clinic published a list of Federal Workplace Cutoff Values, or, the amount of a substance in your urine required to fail a test. For this purpose, a urine test will be considered positive for THC (Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid to be exact) at 50 nanograms per milliliter.
Detection Windows
Drug screenings can only detect substances that remain in the body at the time of screening. So how long does THC last?
It depends on dosing. Generally, THC metabolites can be detected in urine for 3 to 15 days after they have been consumed. More intensive or sustained use can push the detection window to 30 days or beyond.
Blood tests tend only to be used for confirmation of driving-related intoxication or other specific, recent use cases. This is because THC shows up in the bloodstream within seconds, and lasts usually 1-2 days, but as many as 25.
Through saliva testing, the detection window is 1 to 3 days for occasional use and up to 29 days for heavier use.
The Bottom Line
Assuming a fair and reputable test, it’s the THC in your product, not CBD, which can trigger a failed drug test. Observe local and federal laws and research your brands carefully to give yourself the best chance of success.
And if you don’t want pulp in your orange juice, buy the carton that says “No Pulp.”