How Long Does Weed Stay in Your System? (Demo)

Marijuana is a derivative of the cannabis plant, and it enters into your body system and alters the mood. After consuming marijuana, you may feel euphoria, a sign that it has entered into your body system. The excitement and effects of taking weed may fade, but the metabolites will remain in your system for some time. Hash is also an extract from the resins of the cannabis plant which is used widely.

THC is the chemical that is mostly measured when screening for a drug test. It is responsible for the feeling of high, and its presence in your body may make you fail a drug test.

However, CBD does not have a euphoric effect. It is usually used for its medical properties. Many factors determine the duration of time that cannabinoids stay in your system.

Delta- 9 THC

Cannabis contains numerous chemicals, with the most active one being cannabinoids. Delta- 9 tetrahydrocannabinol is a psychoactive substance, which is thick, sticky, and easy to vaporize. It can dissolve into fats and lipids, and when it gets into your body, it deposits in the liver, adipose tissues, lungs, and spleen. Delta- 9 THC can get into the liver, which further metabolizes it to form an inactive substance.

How Weed Affects Your System

When you vaporize or smoke quality weed, THC passes through the lungs and find its way to the bloodstream. The blood carries the THC directly to the heart, which pumps it throughout the body. It binds to the central nervous system, CB1 receptors in the brain, immune system, and the CB2 receptors found in the spleen. It continues circulating in the body through the circulatory system. It passes through the liver where it is broken down into chemical metabolites called THC-COOH. It is these metabolites that indicate the presence of cannabis in your body during a drug test. Usually Cannabis DNA test are done to check the presence of weed in your system.

When you ingest weed, THC enters into the bloodstream via intestinal and stomach walls, and it travels directly to the liver. The body later eliminates the metabolites through urine and feces.

Marijuana Detection Windows

There is a wide range of averages, and detection time depends on how often you consume marijuana. If it is the first time to take weed, it may take up to days. The detection window for someone who takes marijuana 3-4 times in a week is about 5-7 days. While for chronic marijuana users who consume it daily, it may stay in the system for 30 days. Detection windows also depend on the type of test that a person undertakes.

There are numerous factors that influence whether a test will detect marijuana in your body. Some of the factors are:

Route of entry– consuming the weed in the form of edibles can prolong the time it stays in your system.

Frequency of use– regular use of marijuana will lead to an accumulation of THC in your system. THC will take longer to clear from the system of a frequent user when compared to people who consume it occasionally.

Dosage– if you consume a high dose of cannabis, the body will take longer before breaking it down.

Metabolic rate- if the body has a higher metabolic rate, it will break down cannabis at a faster rate.

Level of concentration– the level of marijuana varies depending on the variety of cannabis plants. Consuming weed with high THC potency will increase the time it stays before leaving your body.

Body fat– THC-COOH is soluble in fats, making it stay for longer if your body has a lot of fats. Exercising will help to burn fats and eliminate the weed metabolites from the body.

Genetics- Genetics plays a vital role in the duration that weed takes before leaving your body. You can inherit certain enzymes like cytochrome P450, which promotes faster elimination of THC through urine.

Detection of marijuana

THC and other metabolites stay in your system for a different time. The detection of THC depends on the test.

Weed and urine

Urine screening is one of the reliable methods for weed drug testing. Most drug tests that use urine for testing cannabis use a cutoff concentration to detect the presence of THC metabolites in the sample. A level of THC-COOH 50ng/ml and above suggests that the weed is still in the system.

A drug test can detect marijuana in urine for up to 10 days, but heavy marijuana users can test positive for 1 to 2 months.

Weed and saliva

Frequency of consumption will determine the time that marijuana stays in your system. It can take up to 3 days for occasional users, while it can remain in the system of chronic users for 29 days.

Weed and hair

When you consume marijuana, it enters into your body system, and it reaches the hair strands. Weed can also get into your hair through physical contact. Therefore, you can test positive for marijuana, even if you do not consume it.

Hair can test positive for marijuana for 90 days from the time of exposure. Chronic weed users can test positive for longer than light users.

Weed and blood

When you inhale marijuana, THC passes through the lungs and finds its way to the bloodstream. Upon ingesting marijuana, there is active absorption of THC through the stomach walls finding its way to the blood. THC can only stay in your bloodstream for 3-4 hours.

The level of plasma THC concentration peaks after 3-8 minutes and it starts to fall gradually after 30 minutes. THC-COOH, a THC metabolite can stay in the system for up to 25 days.

Conclusion

Weed can enter your system in various ways. Upon consumption of cannabis, you will feel the effect for a short time, and they later fade away. However, that does not mean that weed has cleared from your system, and it can still test positive after some time.

Various factors affect the duration that weed metabolites stay in your system. The frequency of cannabis use has a significant influence on the time that it will remain in your body. When you consume weed through vaping, it clears from the system faster and it is healthier than smoking. When testing for THC in the system, you can use hair, blood, urine, and saliva. While you stop taking weed, it will clear from your system, and it will lower to non-detectable levels after some time.