CBD has become well-known as a safe remedy for a range of illnesses. CBD drugs and creams are derived from either hemp or cannabis plant. As such, CBD products have traces of cannabinoid. However, cannabinoid does not make you high or appear in drug tests. The responsible content is the active substance called tetrahydrocannabinol.
Nonetheless, CBD products may still perpetuate the problem as strict drug tests are driven towards the detection of THC and not CBD. Unfortunately, many CBD products contain THC, and they leave traces of their metabolites in your blood. As such, when thorough tests are done, THC shows up.
Further, THC strains depend on the CBD product that you use. You have to know that some products such as CBD isolates or even full spectrum contain THC within the range of 0.3%.
How Does a Drug Test for CBD Work?
Drug tests involve urine analysis to determine if you have been using alcohol, benzodiazepines, cannabis, or opiates. Urine tests are the standard and efficacious test for CBD. For instance, it’s an immunoassay exam that uses antibodies to latch on particular drugs or their metabolites. If they spot the drug (THC and its metabolites), they produce positive signals.
Basing on the American Family Physician article, the federal government sets concentration levels. They act as a threshold for urine tests. Should your urine drug test fall below the threshold, you will get a negative result. Further, if you fail the urine drug test, you will have to go through a follow-up test.
Besides urine tests, gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy can be used. Still, high-performance liquid suffices for the experiment. THC dissolves in body fats, and it gets stored in body compartments. It’s then released when your body burns these fats.
The burning process ends up in the kidneys, where the metabolites are eliminated and passed through urine. Owing to these facts, chromatography and urine test are the precise approach for CBD detection. Additionally, these tests typically detect THC for three days after a single use. On the other hand, if you have used marijuana heavily and undergo the test within thirty days, it will still detect THC.
Does CBD Show Up on Drug Tests?
CBD has a variety of benefits, ranging from settling insomnia, depression, pain to stress. With these therapeutic effects, the big question remains to be how it impacts your life. Does CBD show up on drug tests? In some contexts, it will show up. What you have to know is that CBD will not cause a failed drug test. Instead, a positive drug test hinges on the presence of THC in your CBD products.
The compound is highly present in marijuana and indicas than in hemp. For hemp to be certified for medical prescription, it must contain 0.3% of THC. Owing to these facts, if you are using marijuana or indica products, you will get a positive CBD drug test. If you consume CBD products heavily and undergo the test within thirty days, it will show up in the trial. On the other hand, small consumption fades from your system after three days. If you were to take the test after a day or two, the results would turn out positive.
The Reasons for Failing CBD Drug Test?
Topical products containing CBD such as creams or shampoos do not cause positive drug tests. However, the situation is different when it comes to CBD oil, teas, and transdermal patches. THC will be spotted in a urine examination for up to 15 days from your previous consumption.
However, this hinges on the quantity of CBD you use. Small amounts of CBD will naturally leave your bloodstream after 5 hours. On the other hand, the metabolites of THC or THC itself can stay for 3-7 days.
Additionally, if you have been using CBD frequently, THC or its metabolites will remain in your system for thirty days. Still, if you are using CBD while going through the tests, positive results are solid. You may avoid that, but that’s no guarantee since there are other factors at play. Further to answer the question, “Does CBD show up on drug test?” we have to look at these facts.
Are You Using Product With THC?
As aforementioned, one core reason for failing a CBD drug test is if you are using a CBD product containing more than 0.3 % THC. It happens if you purchase a low-quality product. But, you may not be at fault as manufacturers claim their product to be THC-free, but that’s not it.
Is Your Product Contaminated With THC?
The CBD products are extracted from materials containing THC. Therefore, enough of it may get into the CBD product to cause positive drug tests. Such incidents may occur if you purchase CBD products in dispensaries situated in cannabis-legalized zones. Also, your CBD product could be contaminated at home or when manufacturers knowingly make products containing THC and CBD.
Your CBD Products May Be Mislabeled
CBD extracts should have 0.3 % THC or less. However, it’s absurd and yet common for manufacturers to mislabel their products. As such, products said to be THC-free may be low-quality marijuana extracts. Further, Researchers conducted a study on online products and found out that 70% of these products are mislabeled due to less strict FDA.
And these products do not only cause positive drug tests but other despicable harm to users. You may have been in Inadvertent Contact with THC. Accidental exposure to THC is unlikely to cause a positive result, but it’s possible. If you stay in a room with a heavy smoker for several hours, you will likely inhale enough smoke containing THC. Subsequently, your drug test will give a positive signal.
Another likely exposure can happen if persons with marijuana in their hand make contact with your hair. Or it may also occur if your hair has been in contact with hair paraphernalia exposed to marijuana.
CBD Dosage and Duration of Use
CBD products have a maximum of 0.3% THC. But what happens if you take them frequently or use higher doses for a while? If you do the math, the longer you take CBD product, the more the THC level builds up in your body. And will subsequently take days or even weeks for it to leave your body. The results are much predictable if you take a drug test within two days after frequent consumption.
How to Avoid Positive Result on Drug Test
In as much as THC content in your CBD product will give a positive drug test result, you can still beat it by:
- Searching for an Analysis Certificate
Every CBD product you buy must have a Certificate of Analysis. If it’s a winged product, scanning the QR code will link you to the COA. Most CBD companies link the COA to their websites. Nonetheless, the COA must be from a third party and should enable you to tell if the THC level is 0.3 % or less.
- Talking to Your HR Department or Employer
CBD is legal, as indicated by federal law. Therefore, should your usage be medically helpful, you will have to talk to your administrators before going through the test.
- Use an Isolate or Broad Spectrum
CBD full spectrum may result in positive signals on drug tests. Therefore it’s a gamble, and you can only be certain if you use CBD isolates.
However, going for CBD isolates is not the only way to consider. You have to know that CBD products are getting more popular, and so does the ability to get them over the counter. Also, there are pseudo cannabis manufacturers that hold back on testing, quality, and measures.
Further, there are synthetic CBD products in the market nowadays. Therefore, you have to ensure you are getting a legit product certified by a third party.
CBD Legality
CBD products’ legality is a bit confusing. However, the products of CBD that are extracted from varieties of cannabis plants are allowed in states where marijuana is legal. And that’s based on their high THC content.
On the other hand, CBD products typically derived from hemp have low to no THC content. As such, they are legalized thought the entire U.S.A on the condition that they have 0.3% or less concentration. Also, they should not raise any medical concerns.
The Bottom Line
Theoretically, CBD showing up on a drug test is relatively formidable if you use pure CBD with 0.3% or less THC. However, since CBD is not strictly regulated, there is no guarantee that its product is pure and let alone having safe concentrations. If you are to go through a CBD drug test, it will be best if you don’t trust any product, be cautious, and do your research if you intend to purchase a CBD product. That way, you will be ensuring its purity.
Remember CBD will not show up on a drug test as it’s not the subject for screening. However, CBD products contain THC, which will produce a positive signal when tested. If you use CBD, you have to make plans if your work will coerce you to go through the test.