As cannabis (marijuana or weed) is being legalized in many regions, it has become one of the most commonly used substances worldwide. Indeed, it is common to wonder how long does marijuana stay in your system and whether or not it shows up in different drug tests. Typically speaking, marijuana stays in your system anywhere between 12 hours and 3 days, but depending on certain drug tests, it can show up for even longer.
What Happens When You Use Weed?
Before getting to how long does weed stay in system, let us speak about what happens when you use weed.
When you smoke, vape, or ingest marijuana, there is an active ingredient in the cannabis plant known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It produces a “high” or a rush of pleasurable feelings, which is why you keep going back for more.
When you consume marijuana, THC is absorbed into tissues and organs and metabolized by the liver into 11-hydroxy-THC and carboxy-THC. While marijuana leaves the body mainly through feces (65%) as well as urine (20%), the rest is stored in your body and released over a period of time into the bloodstream. This is why THC can show up in a drug test for a few days and even up to a few months!
Factors That Affect How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Body
When we are considering how long does weed stay in your body, we are really speaking about the THC metabolites. The answer to this is not really as straightforward, as different factors can impact how long does it take for weed to be cleared from the body. Some of them are:
- Dosage and Frequency: If you consume marijuana heavily and frequently, it takes longer to clear THC from your system.
- Metabolism: Quicker metabolism rates can clear out THC from your system at a faster rate.
- Age: As age slows down metabolism, it takes longer for older persons to clear out THC from the body.
- Body Weight: Greater body weight can slow down metabolism, which takes longer for the body to clear out THC from the system.
- Liver and Kidney Functioning: As the liver and kidneys are involved in the breakdown and excretion of THC, pre-existing liver and kidney conditions or damage can slow down THC elimination times.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Body?
THC is a fat-soluble compound, so it has a greater half-life of 1.3 days. In cases of heavy and frequent use of marijuana, this can even stretch up to 5-13 days. Half-life means the amount of time taken for the THC content in your body to reduce by half. It takes several half-life cycles before THC is completely eliminated from your system.
Furthermore, depending on the amount you have consumed and the type of drug test used, it can be detected in your system for a variable period of time.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Urine?
How long does weed stay in your urine depends on the dosage and frequency of marijuana use.
- Infrequent Use: For infrequent, single-dose use, it can be detected for up to 3 days.
- Moderate Use: It can be detected up to 5-7 days.
- Daily Use: For daily use, it can be detected up to 10-15 days. In cases of heavy, daily use, it can even be detected up to 30 days.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Blood?
As THC rapidly enters and decreases in the bloodstream, blood tests are not commonly used to detect marijuana in your system. However, it can stay up to 12 hours in your blood.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Saliva?
Typically, THC can be detected in your saliva for up to 1 day, and even 3 days in some cases.
How Long Does Weed Stay in Your Hair?
THC can be detected for the longest time in your hair – for up to 90 days. However, hair tests are not typically used except in cases where there is a need to establish a history of marijuana use.
So, How Long Does THC Stay in System Specifically?
As you can see, you can tell that how long does THC stay in your body depends on the dosage and frequency of use; it also depends on the type of test performed.
Urine tests are the most commonly used tests to detect how long does THC stay in body. Typically, the answer is up to 3 days. But depending on the severity of use, this can even be detected for up to a month.
Can You Speed Up the Process?
Given legalities and other conundrums, we can understand that you may want to speed up the rate at which marijuana is cleared from your body. However, the answer to this is that you will have to let your body take its natural course.
As water acts as your natural detox, you need to drink plenty of water to flush out the toxins from your system and stay hydrated. You also need to eat a balanced, nutritious diet and engage in a certain level of physical activity to maintain healthy metabolism rates.
Concerned About Your Marijuana Use? Skyline Is Here for You.
Knowing how long does weed stay in your body is among the first steps for safe use, as it allows you to stick to minimal doses over a period of time. However, in some cases, this is easier said than done.
If you or a loved one is struggling with heavy marijuana use, Skyline Recovery Center is here to help you break this cycle. Reach out to us today at (424) 353-5206 to learn about how our personalized recovery options can strengthen your journey toward a brighter, sober tomorrow.