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CBD and Drug Tests: How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

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These days, it seems as though everyone is talking about the therapeutic benefits that come with CBD. This unique compound, found within the cannabis plant, provides a host of unique advantages when taken correctly. Some people use CBD to eliminate feelings of nervousness and anxiety. Others rely on CBD to help them manage chronic pain and even reduce body weight.

However, before you can begin to explore the benefits of CBD for yourself, there’s a good chance you’ll want to learn more about it. For instance, one of the most common questions for people who use CBD, is “How long does CBD stay in your system?”

Here’s everything you need to know about the metabolism of CBD products.

Will CBD Show in a Drug Test?

One of the main reasons that people worry about the bioavailability and half-life of CBD is that many modern companies conduct drug tests to ensure that their employees aren’t using anything that they shouldn’t be. While you don’t necessarily need to be worried about using CBD products, sometimes CBD oil can have trace amounts of other cannabis compounds in it.

If your CBD oil causes your drug test to be positive for the THC compound, then you might find yourself facing workplace and legal issues. However, it’s very rare for CBD to lead to positive drug tests. That’s because the regulations in the UK demand that there can only ever be a very small amount of THC in any CBD substance.

CBD drug test using urine sample

Unfortunately, if any THC does show up in your tests, the results won’t tell your employer and the authorities if you have been taking safe CBD oil or other cannabis-derived products. If you’re asking the question, “How long does CBD stay in your system?” because you’re concerned about the legal repercussions of being found with THC in your bloodstream or urine, then it’s important to be very careful when purchasing CBD products.

Remember, if you buy your CBD from a reputable source, then the amount of THC in your products should be small enough so that the compound remains undetectable in tests. Keep in mind that CBD isolates only contain CBD, while full-spectrum CBD contains all kinds of products from the hemp plant, including CBD. Hemp-derived CBD products are also sometimes safer than marijuana-derived options, as they are legally required to have less than 0.3% THC.

If you still need to know more about the length of time CBD stays in your system, then read on.

The Variables in CBD Metabolism

According to most experts, CBD can stay in your system for anywhere between 2 and 5 days. However, the exact length of time for which CBD will show up in lab testing depends on a number of things.

Today, people use CBD for everything from pain management to stress relief. Often, customers will be looking for a CBD compound that continues to work for as long as possible and absorbed into their system as quickly as possible. This means that you can enjoy the benefits of CBD for a longer time period. Some of the most common factors that will affect how long CBD stays in your body include:

How often you take it: Taking CBD regularly will help you build up a certain exposure to it over time. The more you take CBD, the more it will get into your bloodstream. Some people build their dose up over a series of days. This means that they feel the benefit of the CBD more profoundly. However, if you take CBD daily, it may stay in your system longer.

Method of consumption: How you ingest CBD can also impact how long it stays in your body. For instance, vaping will get the cannabidiol into your blood much faster than using edibles or oils. However, if you take CBD orally, then it’s likely to be metabolized and leave your body faster too, because it will move through the stomach, instead of going straight into the bloodstream.

Your body: Everyone has a different body, which is why CBD and other hemp products can affect people in different ways. Your body mass index, the ability of your liver to filter out drugs and their by-products, and even the water content in your body can change how long CBD stays in your system. Even the amount of fat in each individual body can affect CBD absorption. CBD binds to fat cells, which means that thinner people will metabolize CBD capsules, edibles, and other products faster.

Food: Sometimes, what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat also matter when it comes to CBD absorption. Ingestion of CBD edibles on an empty stomach, for instance, often leads to a faster absorption rate. Additionally, there may be some kinds of food that could impact how well CBD is absorbed into your body. Several studies suggest that certain types of food have an effect on how the body absorbs CBD.

Concentration and dosage: It’s not just how frequently you take CBD oil that matters when it comes to the question of how long it will stay in your system. If you want to make CBD stay in your body for longer, you could also consider taking a higher dose. Taking the right dose for your body weight will mean that the substance isn’t processed as quickly.

How Long Does CBD Work for?

The question of “How long does CBD stay in your system” isn’t just something that people ask when they’re concerned about the administration of drug tests and legal testing. You might also want to know about the half-life of CBD products if you’re wondering how frequently you should be taking your treatment for optimal health.

When you’re dealing with things like chronic stress, you don’t want a CBD product that doesn’t have enough cannabinoids or strength in it to deliver a lasting effect. You need something that’s going to withstand a reasonable period of time in your body, so you don’t have to keep topping up your dose.

Crucially, while CBD can stay in your system for up to five days, you may only feel the effects for a few hours. According to one study in 2005, volunteers taking capsules of CBD had the substance in their blood for up to six hours afterward. However, not everyone in that study would have felt the benefits of the CBD for that long.

The consumption method you choose is one of the biggest factors that will determine how long the effects of CBD last for you. Administering a couple of drops of cannabis oil into your mouth might be one of the easiest ways to get the benefits of CBD. However, you’re likely to have a much quicker, and more notable reaction to CBD if you place it under your tongue, where it can get into the bloodstream rapidly.

Remember, studies show that CBD compounds processed by the liver undergo an effect where the enzymes are oxidized, and the concentration of CBD is reduced. Because of this, although edibles and liquids have emerged as a popular way to take CBD, they’re not the most effective. If you want to feel the benefits of CBD quicker, and ensure that the results last for as long as possible, then it may be a good idea to consider sublingual administration or vaping instead.

Taking CBD Safely

safe cbd oil

It’s important to know that CBD, unlike other cannabis derivatives, is completely legal to take in the UK. As long as the CBD form that you choose to take has a very small amount of THC in it – often less than 0.2%, you should be safe to take it without any legal repercussions. That means that you don’t necessarily need to worry about how many hours CBD stays in your system. Anyone conducting a drug test will be looking for other compounds and signs of cannabis derivatives, not necessarily CBD.

However, if you’re looking for insights into how long CBD lasts because you want to make sure that you feel the benefit for as long as possible, then you need to be willing to do your research. The results that you get, and the number of days that you’ll need to take CBD before you notice the advantages, will depend on the kind of product that you use.

Just as your personal makeup and genetics will affect your response to CBD, the quality of the CBD that you have used will also make a huge difference in the way it is processed by your body. Looking for a professional company that has been reviewed by other customers is a good start. Make sure you learn as much as you can about the levels of CBD and THC in each product you consider. Furthermore, consult a physician or nutritionist for professional advice if you don’t know where to start.

The Bottom Line on CBD

CBD can stay in your system for up to five days. How long it takes for you to feel the health benefits and therapeutic effects and how quickly you respond to CBD will depend on various factors. While CBD does have a lot of great benefits to offer when it comes to one’s overall wellness, it’s important to remember that this product, like any other, should be taken with care.

Whether you’re worried about your employers finding CBD in drug tests, or you just want to make sure that your purchase will provide you with the best possible results, doing your research is crucial. Remember, in some cases, CBD with higher levels of THC can be found in the urine for anywhere up to 15 days – making the choice of product you select of utmost importance.

Whatever the purposes for your CBD usage, take the time to learn everything you can about cannabinoid substances, how they may potentially affect your health, how they appear in various tests, and what you can do if you get a false-positive result on a drug test. The more you know, the better protected you’ll be. Additionally, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions about your purchases, too.

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