How Long Does THC Stay In Your System?

How long does THC stay in your body?  How long is it detectable on drug tests?

If you're reading this, you likely find yourself in the hiring process of one of the remaining archaic companies that actually conduct pre-employment THC screening.  Well, I have some bad news.  The bad news is we can't give you an exact answer - it depends on your individual body, the amount of THC you've consumed, the delivery method, and the frequency in which you've consumed it.  The basic rule of thumb people cite is 30-days.  I suppose that's a good starting point.  If you ate one gummy with your girlfriend at an EDM show or split one joint with your homeboy in the garage - don't sweat it.  It'll be gone soon.  If you consume cannabis for therapeutic and/or medicinal reasons daily, it will likely take longer (perhaps much longer) to completely clear all of your systems of detectable THC.  Let's grind into the details.

THC is highly fat-soluble and hydrophobic (approx 7 log Kow coeffiecient).  That means it loves to bond with fat molecules, which is highly present in all of our bodies regardless of body composition.  There's the visible fat that often comes to mind when fat is discussed - the variable amount just below the skin that doctors and trainers often tell us we have too much of.  Then there's the fat deep within us that provides a protective layer around some of our organs, the sinewy fat that courses through our large muscle groups, and smaller deposits all throughout our bodies.  THC and THC metabolites can stash up in all of these fatty areas for 30, 60, or even 90 days after the last consumption.

The test method has a huge impact on detection timeframes.  Here’s a basic rule of thumb you can follow for detection time based on test type:

• Urine - A few days for one-time use, 30 days for casual users, up to 90 days for everyday enthusiasts
• Hair follicle - Up to 90 days (or as old as the hair is, for shorter hair with a recent cut)
• Blood - less than a week
• Saliva - up to 48 hours 

So what can you do lower the level of THC stored in your fat or detectable on a drug screening?  The quick, most accurate answer is "nothing."  There are commercially-made flushes available on the market but their claims are dubious at best; no product has been peer-reviewed and proven to extract THC molecules from our fat cells.  Niacin is often labelled as a quick means to rid ourselves of THC - unfortunately, the research doesn't support that theory.  If you absolutely MUST pass your screening, I wouldn't risk putting my faith into a 'flush.'

There are several synthetic urines available on the market - for research purposes, of course.  I've heard many first-hand success stories using these.  It's CRUCIAL to follow the provided instructions to a T as most modern drug screens will reject samples that are not within the standard human urine temperature range.  Still, this is not the ideal approach.  Well, what is the ideal approach?

The ideal approach is to tell the company that wants to conduct pre-employment drug screening to respectfully kick rocks.  For every overbearing, big-brother employer discriminating against cannabis users, there's another looking for that same worker that doesn't care one bit about off-duty cannabis consumption.

I recently (2022) had a signed and accepted offer letter for a fully-remote position with a six-figure salary at one the nation's largest banks, contingent upon background check and drug screen.  Being a current, valid Florida medical marijuana patient, I spoke to my recruiter openly and frankly about the drug screening.  I informed them I would have a positive result and have all required documentation to back it up.  They told me no problem as long as you have a valid card and that the lab will inform me of the next steps.  After several weeks of back-and-forth with the lab's medical officer, my cannabis-prescribing doctor, and myself, the bank eventually informed me they do not honor Florida medical cards and rescinded the offer.  Lying bastards.

We still have a long way to go as a community to fight the stigma that large, archaic, non-progressive companies espouse as it relates to cannabis.  We MUST show them that they will operate at a disadvantage with their prohibitive, analog-era cannabis policies because they can not hire the best talent available.  No millennial or gen-Zer should work for a firm that requires pre-employment THC screening.  We are past that as a nation.

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