How Long Can THC Levels Remain in Your System?

Let's say that you finally got the job that you have always wanted. You read the offer letter from your potential boss and see all the benefits and salary. Now, you read the bottom of the letter that says you have to do a background check, which involves routine drug testing. You are suddenly disappointed and you begin to panic because you know that THC levels are high in your system. You have two weeks to figure this out. What do you do next?

The First Step

The first thing is to discontinue the use of marijuana altogether and then begin to detox your system. You also cannot be around people that are smoking weed. You probably needed more than two weeks to do this. A thirty day detox is more feasible, but you have to work with what you have. How high should your THC levels be, if you are to get a good detox? First of all, there are various drug tests used by employers. Some are more sensitive than others. And some require a longer detox time while others can detect marijuana more easily in the system. Don't be alarmed just yet. Let's explore your options.

The Level of THC Consumption

Remember, everyone consumes marijuana differently. THC levels may stay in someone's body longer than another person, depending on several variables. The marijuana strain is an essential part of THC levels. Some cannabis strains are stronger than others. Another aspect is how much weed you smoke on a daily basis. If you are an avid marijuana smoker, you may need more time for detox. It is even more so, if you frequently smoke stronger marijuana strains. This is really a complex issue, significant to each individual.

The Tests

Approximately fifty million drug tests are provided by employers every year. The drug tests are done to assess biological materials that include blood, urine, hair, sweat, fingernails and saliva samples. During cannabis consumption, THC levels will rise temporarily in the body. After using marijuana on a daily basis, a blood tests will detect it sooner. However, after a few days, these THC levels may be reduced.

Other Options

The metabolic byproducts from CBD and THC are known as metabolites, which become fat reserves, accumulating throughout your body. After a certain period of time, these molecules slowly release into the body, purging itself subsequently of any traces of marijuana, especially, if you decide to stop smoking cannabis so you can have your drug test done. A hair test will garner faster detection since marijuana traces stay in the hair follicles for up to nine days after you stop smoking marijuana.

Recommended Tests

Urine tests are usually the ideal choice by many employers. In fact, this is the recommended tests by the Substance abuse and Mental Health Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services. Urine tests, however, do not tell the employer how much THC is present in your body, but it may reveal the THC levels of metabolite. When the employer selects a drug test, the sensitivity of the test has to be decided as well as the THC concentration cutoff range. This will show whether the test is positive or negative for marijuana traces. 50ng/mL is the accepted cutoff for urine tests. However, cutoffs could be below 20ng/mL or up to 100ng/mL.

The Body

Now, you may want to know the answer to the real question: how long can THC levels remain in your body? Everyone has a different metabolic system and so each of us will process marijuana at different rates. It may depend on the person's age, gender and personal lifestyle. It also could relate to how much exercise is done and the person's eating habits. So, there are so many variables that affect passing a drug test and determining the level of THC in the body. If you are a chronic marijuana user, give yourself 7 to 10 days to get the marijuana out of your system. For less chronic users, the time frame could be less. Learn more about THC levels by going to the Cannabis Training University now.