How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of the many cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. It has grown in popularity over the past few years, mainly as a supplement and thanks to its therapeutic effects. However, some people might feel concerned that CBD contains trace amounts of THC.

Another matter that may confuse you is how long does CBD stay in your system, but there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends on a number of factors, such as how it was administered, the dosage, and the frequency of use, among others. Some people might even have to wait for weeks before their digestive system metabolizes edible forms of CBD.

That’s why in this article, we’ll take a close and detailed look at the different ways you can take CBD and how it’s processed by your body, as well as how long it will stay in your system.

Factors That Affect How Long CBD Stays In Your System

To estimate how long CBD stays in your system, you first need to learn about several factors that affect the whole process. They range from the amount of CBD you use, consumption methods to physical factors such as your metabolism or body mass index (BMI).

Here’s more on the crucial elements to consider when thinking about how long does CBD stay in your system.

How Often You Use It

The frequency of the usage is also a factor that determines how long CBD stays in your body. For instance, people who use CBD products frequently or take a daily dose will have higher CBD levels in the body. Even though research suggests that consuming high doses of CBD is well-tolerated by the human body, you should always make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as well as the doctor’s advice.

How Much You Use

The amount of CBD taken influences how long it stays in your system, and the higher the dosage, the longer it is likely to stay in the body.

When consuming CBD, especially the high-potency one, try to be mindful that it might take your body quite a long time before it can eliminate cannabidiol from your bloodstream completely.

Metabolism

Your metabolism can be considered the most important factor influencing how long CBD stays in your body. It’s a process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy, which allows your body to function.

Another factor that impacts the time needed for CBD to be removed from one’s system is whether or not you consume CBD on an empty stomach. According to research, consuming CBD with foods such as whole eggs, avocados, cheese, nuts, and seeds, which all contain high amounts of fats, can increase the CBD concentration in your body. All in all, a person’s metabolism plays a huge role in how fast CBD is metabolized and then excreted.

Body Mass Index

From the very beginning, it’s important to state that the BMI formula is far from ideal, but it still can get you a more accurate estimate of the period during which CBD hangs out in your system. It doesn’t consider some critical factors such as muscularity and frame size, so if that’s your body type, it may wrongly place you in the overweight or even in the obese category.

Cannabidiol gets transferred to your body when you consume snacks infused with CBD or vape CBD, and often, less body fat results in a shorter duration of its effects. In comparison, a higher body fat lets you enjoy the effects for longer. More fatty tissue will usually prolong the time CBD takes to exit your body.

Consumption Method

There are a few ways to take CBD. The key in choosing the best method of CBD consumption that will allow you to enjoy the health benefits that it provides is in figuring out your personal preferences. Depending on them, you can vape CBD, use oil from a drop bottle or eat CBD as part of food, like CBD gummies.

Here’s a breakdown of the most popular options.

CBD Edibles

Many different products, including CBD shakes, chocolates, and gummies, fall into this category. Edibles allow you to take CBD orally and at the same time enjoy other tastes that you already like. Instead of a tasteless soft gel capsule or a drop of CBD oil, you get to pick how your daily CBD dosage will taste like.

Purchasing CBD-infused sweets isn’t your only option when it comes to edibles because you can also add hemp-derived CBD products to foods such as smoothies or protein shakes and create your own food combinations.

CBD Oil

Cannabidiol can quickly break down after being in contact with a fat-based substance, all thanks to its chemical composition. Oil is an excellent example of such a substance, and it turns out to be an efficient carrier of the beneficial qualities of CBD.

Many people consume it by adding a few drops of the oil to food or drinks. Administering a couple of CBD oil drops directly into the mouth is also a convenient way of enjoying its benefits. However, it might not be effective enough for those who want to feel the effects of CBD immediately, as swallowing CBD oil straight from the dropper prevents the cannabinoid from entering the bloodstream right away. Instead, it travels through the digestive tract and then to the liver, where it finally gets broken down before reaching the bloodstream.

CBD Capsules

CBD capsules are quite popular among cannabidiol enthusiasts. Their main benefit is that it’s quite quick and very discreet. Usually, you can take a pill without anyone around you noticing. As a result, you can get all of CBD’s reported health benefits without much hassle.

CBD Vapes

Vaping is a fast way to get the results you want from your CBD products, and it also offers a higher concentration of CBD and allows to regulate the dosage easier. All you need to start is the equipment such as a vape pen and other accessories to use your vape oils.

Inhalation is also an effective delivery method for CBD due to its rapid absorption and the efficiency of the lungs at transferring CBD into the bloodstream.

CBD Tinctures

A CBD tincture is an alcohol-based extract. Much like CBD oil products, they can reduce pain and help you relax. However, in their case, instead of oil, it’s alcohol that plays the role of the carrier. Thanks to this, you can store CBD tinctures longer than CBD oils.

Some CBD tinctures that you can purchase are made with food-grade plant oil and a CO2 extraction method. In such a case, after creating a highly purified CBD isolate, it is infused into a carrier base — most likely an oil. CBD isolate is a pure form of CBD, and it contains no other cannabis plant compounds. These CBD products are not technically tinctures, but the term is used to differentiate them from CBD oil products.

Topical CBD

Several CBD-infused products are available in topical forms, such as lotions, creams, balms, salves, and gels which can be applied directly to the skin. Our skin can absorb the CBD and then transfer it to our bloodstream.

This form of CBD is an excellent solution for pain relief in the affected area. They are often used for pain reduction by people who deal with sore muscles, chronic pain, or skin conditions.

Will CBD Show up on a Drug Test?

In most cases, it’s highly unlikely that CBD will cause a positive test result in a drug test. Most drug tests screen for “marijuana compounds” without distinguishing the various cannabinoids that make up the cannabis plant.

CBD is rarely included in standard drug tests (like those given by employers). However, our bodies store and process these cannabinoids, making CBD detectable just like THC. As a result, drug tests frequently show false positives for THC when you’re actually only using CBD.

If you’re concerned about CBD causing a positive drug test result at work, it’s best to restrict your use to CBD products that contain no THC, such as broad-spectrum CBD oil or CBD isolates. On the flip side, full-spectrum CBD products may also contain up to 0.3% THC, so if the question of “How long does CBD stay in your system?” worries you before an upcoming drug test or you use CBD frequently, you should avoid full-spectrum CBD.

Types of Tests

When it comes to different types of drug tests, hair tests are known for being able to detect drugs for an extended time. On the other hand, urine tests are the most popular and common drug screening method. The detection window for THC through urine tests can vary widely, and it mostly depends on the dose you took and your frequency of use. Although blood tests are not nearly as common as urine tests for screening for CBD and cannabinoids, they can be used to detect THC metabolites. Still, they’re not the preferred drug test method because of how quickly THC is eliminated from your bloodstream.

Final Thoughts

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that offers a number of health benefits, and it’s essential to know how long it stays in your system. The speed at which CBD leaves your system depends on the type of product you’re taking, how often you take it, as well as your metabolism.  If you work in a sensitive work environment, consider speaking to your employer before starting on your CBD journey.

CBD and THC are processed differently in your body, which is why the time it takes for them to leave your system differs. While CBD only stays in your system for a few hours, THC can remain detectable for days, weeks, or even months. If you’re looking for a more precise timeframe of how long CBD stays in your system, you’ll have to consider all of the variables above, including the type of test used.