Does CBD leave your system faster?

Learn how to estimate the length of time that CBD will stay in your system, along with how you might be able to flush the cannabinoid out faster if you have an upcoming drug screening. 

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Factors That Influence CBD Retention

Several factors determine precisely how long CBD stays in the body. These include: 

• Amounts used
• Method of consumption
• Frequency of use
• Activity levels
• Body physiology

How Often You Use CBD

If you’ve used CBD only once or twice in low-to-moderate amounts and no other cannabis products, the cannabinoid will stay in your system for a few days at most and not more than 24 hours for most people. If CBD is used for a week or longer, it will be detectable in your system for a month or longer. Flushing CBD out of your system will take about 30 to 40 days of not taking CBD.

However, some people don’t feel the effects of CBD, at least right away. Some people need regular CBD ingestion for the medicine to have any long-term effects, and their bodies may need a baseline level of CBD to produce benefits. For these people, regular consumption of CBD is necessary to experience benefits, which means the substance will be detectable in the body for a long time, perhaps several months. 

How You Consume CBD

Vaping or smoking CBD flower is the quickest delivery method to feel a cannabinoid’s effects. The chemical passes into the lungs and the bloodstream straight away. The effects tend to last one to two hours, sometimes three or four hours, after which effects tend to diminish.

Tinctures tend to take effect between 30 minutes to one hour, last longer – six to eight hours, and up to 12 hours for higher doses. CBD edibles usually have the most potent effects. Cannabinoids passed through the liver are converted into a different compound (e.g., THC turns into 11-OH-THC, CBD into 6-OH-CBD) that subsequently travels to the brain. This process (called second pass metabolism) makes cannabinoids even more powerful. Edibles can take one to two hours to take effect and can last eight hours to even a whole day. Topicals have a similar onset time to edibles but do not have physiological effects.

Transdermal patches, which are applied to the skin and seep cannabinoids through the epidermis and into the bloodstream at a steady rate, can take more time to take effect, from around two hours up to a full day. Transdermal patches are perhaps the longest-lasting ingestion method to feel the impact even after 24 hours.

Diet and Exercise

If you use CBD on an empty stomach rather than after a meal or on a full stomach, it will be processed by the body more quickly. Similarly, users who exercise regularly may find that their body metabolizes cannabinoids like CBD and THC faster. Many people have reported feeling a more potent version of the “runner’s high” when exercising and using cannabis regularly. This sensation occurs because fat cells store cannabinoids, released when physical activity levels are increased.

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CBD and Drug Tests: Does It Show Up?

It is unlikely but possible that CBD will appear on a drug test. CBD is more likely to be detected on a drug test if the product you are using is full-spectrum, i.e., THC. Furthermore, if you consume CBD products frequently (multiple times per day), a drug screening is more likely to return a false positive. 

Can You Flush CBD Out of Your Body Faster?

There is no surefire way to eliminate CBD from your system in a hurry. However, some people drink herbal tea, bask in saunas, and engage in physical activity to flush CBD out of their systems more quickly. Whether these strategies work is dependent on various factors, including how much CBD you consume and how regularly along with your overall body chemistry and metabolism. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does CBD show up months after I use it?

A range of factors determines whether or not CBD will be detectable in your body after use. If you are a regular CBD user (twice or more per week), the substance is likely to be detectable in the body for up to 35 days after last ingestion, depending on the amount you consumed. People who use CBD sparingly may metabolize cannabinoids quicker, as there’s a lower concentration of the chemicals in fat and the bloodstream.

Can my employer test me for CBD use?

Technically, employers can test for any drugs that they choose. But most workplace drug screenings do not test for CBD. The typical drug screening does, however, test for marijuana. If you have consumed marijuana in the days and weeks before a drug screening, then you may fail the test. 

Some CBD products may also contain trace amounts of THC. Unfortunately, on occasion, you may get a batch that happens to contain slightly higher amounts of THC, and regular consumption over several weeks may trigger a positive result for THC even if you haven’t been using your full-spectrum CBD oil for intoxication.  

Can I get in trouble for driving under the influence if I use CBD?

CBD on its own is a non-intoxicating substance that will not result in a DUI. But full-spectrum CBD products contain up to 0.3% of THC, which could pose a DUI hazard. If you feel any mental effects after consuming oils and other CBD products, play it safe and don’t get behind the wheel.