Marijuana or weed are being used for both medicinal and recreational purpose dating back thousands of years. Having said this, THC, the cannabinoid responsible for psychoactive effects or getting you “high”, is a prohibitive chemical compound that tests sensitive for workplace drug screenings. For whatever reasons you took weed, be it therapeutical or medicinal benefits, you will surely test positive for a workplace drug screening if you don’t flush out the THC from your system. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for weed detox and that is exactly why you should continue reading if you are concerned about taking a drug test. This article will examine facts about a weed detox including how long THC stays in our system, how drug tests work, and some remedies to naturally eliminate THC from our system.
What is a Marijuana Detox?
Flushing out toxins from your body is called detoxification. In the case of weed or marijuana, a detox would mean eliminating the remains of the ingested cannabinoids such as THC from your system. Weed metabolites stay in your system long after your weed consumption and its after-effects. Metabolites are remnants of a substance after your body processes it. This implies that remnants such as THC are still present in your body and may get detected during a drug screening. One of the main metabolites is called THC-COOH which is a remnant stored in your body fat. In comparison to other drugs, marijuana has the highest detection window because of remnants getting stored in fat cells. Therefore, it is essential to cleanse the body from such weed metabolites to pass drug tests. A weed detox does exactly that and can be conducted both naturopathically and scientifically. Read on to have a better understanding of methods adopted on how to effectively attain detoxing from THC.
How Long Does THC Remain in Your System?
Unlike alcohol or other substances, Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is said to stay in your system for several days or even weeks. How long THC traces remain in your system is a critical factor in determining the elimination of this remnant from your body. After you have had weed, remnants of THC may be found in saliva, hair, fingernails, blood, and urine. The duration depends on factors such as the strain of marijuana used and how it was consumed. A study recently revealed that you can expect hair to retain traces of THC for 90 days, urine for up to several weeks, saliva for a couple of days, and blood 36 hours to be exact. With these numbers in mind, it is safe to assume that detoxification is not an easy process. Since THC is fat-soluble, it gets stored in your body’s fat cells and these cells constantly secrete these metabolites into your bloodstream. Later, these metabolites are eventually removed from your system through feces and urine. Most THC metabolites have an enhanced half-life of 20 hours and it takes at least 5 to 6 half-lives to be eliminated. As a result, most detox methods become ineffective and detection windows are higher making THC test sensitive in drug tests.
These statistics can also vary depending on the consumer’s frequency of usage and potency of weed as well. The more often a person consumes weed, the longer THC remains in your body. This means people test positive for THC even after they stop consumption for an extended period. Such factors also make it hard to determine the precise length of time THC traces will remain in a person’s body.
Here are few other factors that affect the duration for weed traces to remain in a user’s body:
- Quantity of weed consumed
- The extent and type of exercise
- Diet and metabolism
- Body fat percentage
How Do Drug Tests Work?
As mentioned earlier, detection windows are much higher for marijuana when compared to other substances. Just as there are a variety of factors contributing to the length of time THC remains in your system, there are also several ways your employer detects traces of THC via drug tests. Some of them include Urinalysis (UA), Blood test, Saliva test, Hair test, etc.
- Urine Test– The urine drug tests are the most common type of workplace drug screening method because its inexpensive and almost accurate. Urine Analysis (UA) detects THC-COOH which is then metabolized THC rather than THC itself.
- Blood Test– This type of test also screens for THC, however, unlike UA a blood test will also identify impairment. Test sensitivity for THC differs for those who rarely consume and for frequent users.
- Saliva Test– This is a fairly new type of testing for THC that provides quicker results. However, saliva tests cannot detect THC-COOH and only THC. The accuracy of these tests is said to be higher but the failure to identify the metabolites makes it less popular.
- Hair Test– This is a common type of testing that occurs in workplaces because it is very difficult to beat and get around. This is because it identifies THC-COOH inside the hair follicles over the past several months.
The most fool-proof way to pass any drug screening is to abstain from any type of drug. This may sound silly, but most drug tests come with such short notice that you may not get enough time to prepare for it at all. Having said that, if you do find yourself lucky and get some extra time to flush out that THC from your body, the tips below might come in handy.
Weed Detox To Remove THC From Your System
Modern drug screening techniques are top-notch and hard to beat. Most tests are random, and it is important to consider that the longer the time you have in hand before a test, the better are your chances of passing it. Before you google and land on some DIY detox hoax, it is vital to realize that weed cannot be eliminated from your body using cranberry juice, vinegar, niacin, teas bleach, etc. There exist tablets, capsules mouthwashes, and even shampoos if you are considering chemical methods. As for naturopathic ways, most DIY hacks have health benefits but can also be myths and might not help you pass modern drug tests. Instead, try these tips:
- Exercise– Since THC gets stored in fat cells, any physical activity such as weight training and cardio, that helps burn fat would be an ideal choice to speed up the detox process.
- Hydration– Nothing works better than water to flush your system. Drinking lots of water is specifically essential if you trying to get around urine tests. The urine will get diluted making metabolite detection hard. However, please be advised not to overdo it. If you drink too much water, the sample will be diluted to the extent that it creates suspicion.
- Detox drinks– A popular choice but also an expensive one especially if you are buying it. The success rate of home remedies is still debatable, but a natural cleanse does have its health benefits. Certain types of tea and lemon juice are natural detoxing agents that aid in increasing your metabolism. However, it takes the longest to become effective.
- Healthy diet– Refraining from food that is high in sodium, sugar, and fat will help speed up the detox process. These food types increase water retention, slowing metabolism making the body unable to shed THC metabolites naturally and quickly.
- Abstinence- This is the least popular option here, nonetheless the best and only one that can guarantee a hundred percent success rate. Stay away from drugs to pass those tests in flying colors.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there’s no magic fix to eliminate THC from your system. The odds and variables are just too many, making no detox hack fool-proof. Naturopathic and home remedies might have potential health benefits but it’s still wishful thinking to believe that they can eliminate THC completely. However, this does not mean nothing will ever work. There are research studies that demonstrate and discuss detoxification of weed and some even suggest ways to speed up the process. The result however will depend on the form of detox and lots of other factors mentioned above in the article such as frequency of your consumption, body composition, and potency of the strain even. As much as we all love a quick fix for everything, most of the time you will be disappointed. Some hacks even make your sample look suspicious and you’ll end up taking the test again!