Are you ready to explore the world of cannabis edibles but find yourself wondering how long edibles stay in your system? The answer depends on several factors, including your physiology, frequency consumption, and more. Read more to discover how long edibles stay in your system.
Table of Contents
Features
- TL;DR: THC can stay in the blood for 3-4 hours, saliva for 72 hours, urine for 30 days, and hair for 90 days
- It depends on how much and how frequently you consume THC
- This can vary greatly depending on your physiology and metabolism
Why You Will Love This Guide
Edibles are delicious foods like brownies, cookies, or butter that contain cannabinoids like THC or CBD.
As great as they taste, and as easy they are easy to dose, one major concern is how long they last in the body.
Many people want to be able to predict how long their edible experience will last and some people need to ensure they are able to pass a drug test.
Researchers debate how long active ingredients can stay in the bloodstream, mainly because this can vary greatly from person to person depending on several different factors.
In this guide, we will explore how long edibles will remain in your system so you can better prepare for your edible experience.
How Long Edibles Stay In Your System
Whether you’re a regular smoker or eat your favorite form of edibles, if it contains delta-9 THC, you run the risk of feeling a psychoactive effect and/or failing a drug test.
Not all cannabis products contain THC, but even trace amounts of THC can cause an issue for someone facing a drug screen.
In general, regardless of the method of consumption, THC can stay in your blood for 3-4 hours, saliva for 72 hours, urine for 30 days, and hair for 90 days.
While we can share a general answer, the correct answer – it depends.
You will feel the physical effects of edibles for several hours, but the presence of THC can linger in your body for a long period of time.
Unfortunately, there is no currently reliable way to predict each person’s unique reaction.
The effects of marijuana are not an exact science, there are many factors that will affect your final experience including:
- Amount of THC consumed – how much THC you consume will affect the duration of the experience
- Frequency of use – infrequent users may be able to clear THC from their system faster than someone who is a habitual user
- Body type – THC is stored in the fatty tissue, thus influenced by body fat composition or body mass index
- Metabolic rate – those who have a slower metabolism may take longer to process THC than those who have faster metabolisms, ultimately affecting how long THC stays in the system
How Edibles Work in the Body
If you’re brand new to marijuana edibles, I recommend checking out my beginner’s guide here first.
They are a popular way to medicate but can pose some risks if you’re not careful. On top of that, they affect everyone in different ways.
How each person responds depends on how their body processes edibles and their own unique endocannabinoid system.
The main concern is associated with THC edibles, not CBD or CBG, due to its intoxicating abilities.
The intoxicating experience can be more intense for THC that is eaten because of how it is processed by the liver and turned into 11-hydroxy THC.
Edibles are first eaten in the form of food products and travel through the digestive system where it is eventually absorbed into the bloodstream.
Because the THC needs time to travel through the digestive system, it can take 30-90 minutes to feel the effects.
From there, each person will process the marijuana metabolites differently, meaning it will last in the system for a variable amount of time.
While the experience of intoxicating effects will only last for a few hours, the body does store excess THC in our fat cells.
This explains why you can test positive for THC for several weeks or days, even if you have not consumed it recently.
Preparing For a Drug Test
Drug tests typically screen for delta-9 THC levels.
It is important to know what type of test you will be subjected to if you want to prepare ahead of time. There are:
- Blood test
- Saliva test
- Hair follicle test
- Urine drug test
Ultimately, the best way to prepare for a drug test is to abstain from THC use completely.
Even small traces of THC can cause a positive result.
Unfortunately, there are few protections for medical marijuana users, so prepare appropriately.
If you only have a very short amount of time to prepare, some common anecdotal suggestions include:
- Drink lots of water, green tea, cranberry juice, or anything with a lot of vitamin C
- Detox drinks or detox kits
Thank you so much for the recipes. My husband has chronic pain and short of a ton of pill the gummies help a lot. First batch was a trainwreck but I am getting better at them. Again, Thank you for your recipes..Debbie
You are so sweet, thank you so much for your kind words, Debbie 🙂 I am so glad you are helping your husband find relief!
Hi Emily my name is Estelle do you have a recipe for menopause symptoms?
Hello Estelle! Regarding cannabis, it’s always important to remember we must treat the person, not the condition. I don’t have anything specific for menopause because what you may need will be different than what other women need. The best option for you is to start with my beginner’s guide to cannabis so you can discover what works best for you!