Every time you use marijuana, a few vestiges of THC that with a greater or lesser degree of success can be detected by certain tests. Although a margin has elapsed that in your opinion seems more than prudential since the last time you took a drag on a joint, it is possible that due to the type of test you undergo, your smoking habits or the characteristics of your metabolism that time is not long enough for the result to be negative.
At Yervagüena we believe that it is important that you are well informed because drug tests are increasingly frequent in different areas of daily life and you are interested in knowing how long the THC in marijuana lasts in your body so as not to be surprised by the results.
Types of tests for the detection of THC in the body
When we think of drug tests, for example in jobs (a practice that, on the other hand, is quite common when applying for certain positions), urine and blood tests usually come to mind .
It is true that these are the two most widespread types of tests, but they are not the only two tests that you might have to face in the event that you want to determine the existence or not of THC in your body. On the other hand, what these tests do is not exactly measure the presence or not of THC in our body but rather that of THC-COOH, which is the metabolite secreted by the liver when we consume cannabis and that it remains for much longer in the body.
Among the most common methods for the detection of this substance in the body, the most used are:
- Urine test: urinalysis is the most common and probably the most reliable. The detection rate that this type of test has shown is the highest of all the methods that exist, regardless of the type of consumption that is carried out. Its popularity is due to the fact that apart from being a fast and reliable test, it is very cheap (around € 2-5).
- Saliva test: It is likely that in some traffic control you have been subjected to this type of test. It is such a fast and simple method that it can be done practically anywhere and is very useful especially to find out if you have smoked in the last hours, so it is also widely used in workplaces.
- Blood test: These are the tests that are carried out at very specific moments, such as when an accident has occurred. This is because, together with urine tests, they are the most reliable but in this case the margin of error is still much smaller. It is very difficult to escape the results of a THC blood test.
- Hair test: It is a type of test with such a degree of specialization that it is only applied in very specific circumstances. Among elite athletes or high officials of a multinational company it could be common, but it will never be so for the employee of a small company. Among other things because it is an expensive test (approximately € 90).
Differences between types of users
An analysis carried out on an occasional marijuana user is not the same as on a person who frequently uses cannabis. Habits also make a difference and are taken into account in detection periods. In this sense, the consumer’s lifestyle also influences (if they do sports regularly, if they eat a balanced diet, if they have overweight problems…) or the speed of their metabolism.
Thus, there are many nuances that can cause the results to change significantly between one type of consumer and another, but as a general rule the statistics indicate that these are the times that THC remains in our body in the tests most used for its detection. :
- Urine test: If you are not a regular user, it is most likely that within a week the result of a urine test will be negative (the minimum elimination period is between 5 and 7 days). In the case of occasional smokers (for example, if you are one of those who smoke joints every weekend), the most common is to test positive until two weeks later of the last puff. And in those cases in which consumption is daily and abundant, this period could be extended up to 70 days.
- Saliva test: We have already said that it is above all a test of immediacy. From the first puff and up to 24 hours later With this test you will sing that you have been smoking marijuana and if this is an activity that you do regularly, the positive result could last a few more hours.
- Blood test: for a person who has only taken a hit on a joint on rare occasions, a blood test can be positive from that first moment up to 5 days later. For regular users, many factors play a role, but the number could be expanded between 15 and 30 days.
- Hair test: the hair test is so precise that with just a few centimeters of hair you could tell not only if you have consumed or not but almost exactly how many weeks makes you smoke cannabis. So it doesn’t matter too much whether or not you are a regular marijuana user. You have it very complicated so that they do not catch you with this type of test.
Is it possible to falsify the results of tests for THC?
Honestly, you have it quite complicated. As that popular ad said “Cotton does not cheat.” There are some products on the market to try camouflage tests. Depending on when you use them, some may be more effective than others as certain mineral complexes taken before blood or urine tests or mouthwash that can rid you of a positive in a saliva test.
But if the result of an important decision depends on the effectiveness of these products, it would be better not to get too illusions because at the moment there is nothing 100% reliable in absolutely all circumstances.
