CBD typically stays in your system for 2 to 5 days, but that range doesn’t apply to everyone. For some, CBD can stay in their system for weeks.
How long it hangs around depends on several factors.
What affects how long it stays in your system?
There are a few variables to consider when thinking about how long CBD stays in your system.
How Much You Use
As with most other substances, the higher the dose, the longer CBD will stay in your system.
How Often You Use It
The frequency of your usage also determines how long CBD stays in your body. CBD builds up in your body over time, if used regularly. This is why it’s recommended you use it for at least a week to see if it works for you.
If you only use it occasionally, it’ll clear your system faster.
Your Body
Everyone’s body is different. That’s why CBD and other substances affect people differently.
Your body mass index, water content, and metabolism are just some of the things that can influence how long CBD stays in your system.
Food
What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat matter. If you take CBD on an empty stomach, it gets metabolized and eliminated faster than it does when you take it on a full stomach, which slows its digestion.
Method of Use
There are a few ways to take CBD. The method you use affects everything from the onset and duration of effects to how long it stays in your body.
Different forms of CBD include:
- oils and tinctures
- pills and capsules
- edibles
- vaping
- creams and lotions
When you vape CBD (which you should avoid for now), it enters your lungs and takes effect quickly, and also leaves the body quickly. Oils and tinctures placed under your tongue are absorbed into the bloodstream faster and linger longer.
Your digestive system metabolizes edible forms of CBD, which can take a while. Creams and lotions are also slow to get into and out of the body.
How Long Does It Take for The Effects to Kick In?
It varies based on all the same factors that influence how long CBD stays in your system.
The form used, dosage, and your body composition all play a role and make it hard to predict how quickly CBD will kick in or how it will affect you.
Generally, you can begin to feel the effects of CBD within 15 minutes of vaping or using it sublingually. Edibles and topical products can take as long as an hour or two to kick in.
Again, it all depends on your body, how much you take, and how you take it. But generally, the effects of CBD can last from 2 to 6 hours.
Will It Show Up on A Drug Test?
CBD typically won’t show up on a drug test, but if your CBD product contains THC, it will. THC is marijuana’s main active ingredient. It’s the one responsible for the “high” effect.
Many CBD products contain trace amounts of THC. Depending on the composition and quality of a product, you could have a positive drug test result.
If you’re concerned about THC levels, be mindful of the type of CBD products you choose. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Full-spectrum CBD. Full-spectrum CBD extracts contain all of the naturally occurring compounds from the plant they’re extracted from, including THC.
- Broad-spectrum CBD. This is similar to full-spectrum CBD, but it goes through a process to eliminate THC.
- CBD isolate. This option contains only CBD.
If going with a full-spectrum CBD, look for hemp-derived CBD instead of one that’s marijuana-derived. Hemp-derived CBD is legally required to contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
Using CBD while breastfeeding isn’t recommended. If you plan on breastfeeding in the future, avoid using CBD for at least 1 week beforehand.
The Food and Drug Administration strongly advises against it because of the lack of comprehensive research on the effects of CBD on breastfed babies. What we do know so far is that some CBD is transferred to babies through breast milk.
CBD products can also contain THC and other substances that can pose risks to a breastfed baby. Research is ongoing, but until experts know more, it’s best to avoid using CBD while pregnant or breastfeeding.
It’s hard to say exactly how long CBD stays in your system since there are so many factors involved. Plus, different bodies can have very different responses to CBD.
Precision Pain Care and Rehabilitation has two convenient locations in Richmond Hill – Queens and New Hyde Park – Long Island. Call the Richmond Hill office at (718) 215-1888, or (516) 419-4480 for Long Island office, to arrange an appointment with our Interventional Pain Management Specialist, Dr. Jeffrey Chacko.
