Easing Your Worries. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System

The time CBD stays in your system depends on age, weight, and potency, dosage, and lifestyle choices. This article highlights everything you need to know about how long CBD oil stays in your system, the factors affecting the effectiveness of this product, and the benefits of this product.

CBD was recently approved as a food supplement by the United States in the 2018 Farm Bill. The bill allows limited amounts of THC, capping the amount to 0.3% by dry weight. However, there are individual fears that this cannabinoid shows up in drug tests. CBD's duration in the body is affected by factors endemic to the user. There are two types of components here: user-determined factors and CBD-dependent factors. Factors relating to CBD include frequency of usage, dosage, and concentration of CBD administered. Factors relating to the user include age, mode of administration, body weight, and metabolism.

How Long Is CBD Detectable in Your System

Depending on the mode of administration, CBD can last in one's system for three months before the metabolites are fully eliminated from the body. CBD is broken down using various body enzymes. The breakdown produces metabolites excreted through mechanisms like sweating. There are various methods used to test for the presence of prohibited substances. Johnson et al. (2022) stated that these methods include a hair follicle test, saliva testing, and urine analysis. The urine analysis shows that CBD might take up to thirty days before the body fully gets rid of most of the metabolites present. For saliva analysis, CBD may be detected only up to seventy-two hours after ingestion. When doing a blood analysis, CBD can only be detected up to three hours after administration. CBD lasts longer in body fats. CBD has a lipid structure that binds to body fats. CBD may be detected after three months using hair follicle test. However, this test is not very reliable as it tests for lipids passed from the skin the follicles; if an individual comes in contact with CBD oil, the test is likely to cause a false positive. Despite these test mechanisms, the time taken to eliminate all CBD highly varies and depends on many factors.

How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System

CBD has different modes of administration; sublingual, oral, topical, and inhalation. According to Corroon & Felice (2019) and Millar et al. (2020), these methods differ in their route toward the endocannabinoid system. This affects how long it takes to manifest in the body, and how much is delivered to the bloodstream. Consequently, the mode of administration affects how long the effects last.

Sublingual Administration

Sublingual administration of CBD is done by placing CBD tinctures or sprays under the tongue and holding for at least sixty seconds. The membranes beneath the tongue quickly absorb the CBD into the bloodstream. These membranes are covered in blood vessels, whose function in the body is to carry blood through veins, capillaries, and arteries to and from the heart; anything absorbed by these membranes enters the bloodstream within minutes. However, after taking effect, the liver quickly metabolizes the CBD. Therefore, it can only last about three to four hours in the body. For this reason, sublingual administration is highly preferred when you want an instant kick-in.

Oral Administration

Oral administration involves taking pills, capsules, and edibles such as CBD cookies and cakes through the mouth. The ingested CBD is digested first in the gut with various digestive enzymes. The CBD is then absorbed in the blood through numerous blood capillaries around the small intestines. CBD is delivered to the body's endocannabinoid system for three to four hours (Evans, 2020). However, CBD is delivered in small quantities from time to time. Therefore, this allows the user to feel the effects of CBD for much longer in the body. Depending on the individual, the effects can last between eleven and fourteen hours. This method is suitable when one wants a long-lasting effect of CBD; the effects may last up to seventy-two hours in the body. Hence, the CBD remains detectable within seventy-two hours.

Inhalation

CBD can be administered through vape oil or vape juices. The vape is made by suspending CBD oils in propylene glycol. This mixture is then inserted into a vape pen and inhaled. This method of administration is the quickest, as one can begin to feel the effects after a minute or two. However, these effects are not long-lasting; they start to wear out after thirty minutes of the first inhalation. CBD is eliminated within an hour or two. However, a hair follicle test may detect CBD after three months of usage if one vaped CBD frequently.

Factors That Affect How Long CBD Lasts in the Body

As mentioned earlier, the time CBD remains in the body is influenced by the individual's metabolism. A higher rate of metabolism will break down CBD more quickly. Therefore, CBD enters and exits the system quickly. Additionally, the Basal Metabolic Index, weight, and water content also impact the time required to eliminate CBD. The frequency with which CBD products are used also determines how long the substance remains in the system. Unlike infrequent users, frequent CBD users are more likely to have high system levels. The general guideline is that the higher the dosage, the longer the CBD will linger in the system. Learn more about does the fda regulate cbd?

Conclusion

The time taken to get rid of CBD metabolites varies from individual to individual. Elimination depends on factors such as basal metabolic rate, age weight, dosages administered, and frequency of use. Oral CBD can last between eleven to twelve hours; sublingual CBD lasts four hours at most, whereas inhaled CBD takes the shortest time to exit the body. Please seek medical advice to understand how CBD affects your body and how long its effects may last. Learn more about does aromatherapy work?

References

Corroon, J., & Felice, J. F. (2019). The Endocannabinoid System and its Modulation by Cannabidiol (CBD). Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 25.

Evans, J. (2020). The Ultimate Guide to CBD: Explore the World of Cannabidiol. Fair Winds             Press

Johnson, O. E., Miskelly, G. M., & Rindelaub, J. D. (2022). Testing for cannabis intoxication:             Current issues and latest advancements. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Forensic             Science, 4(4), e1450.

Marinotti, O., & Sarill, M. (2020). Differentiating Full-Spectrum Hemp Extracts From CBD             Isolates: Implications For Policy, Safety And Science. Journal Of Dietary             Supplements, 17(5), 517-526

Millar, S. A., Maguire, R. F., Yates, A. S., & O’Sullivan, S. E. (2020). Towards better delivery       of cannabidiol (CBD). Pharmaceuticals, 13(9), 219.