How long do edibles stay in your system?

How long do edibles stay in your system?

How long do marijuana edibles stay in your system?

The question “how long do edibles stay in your system,” is one we get all the time. So, we’re going to give you the answers!

THC edibles are growing in popularity at an outrageous rate thanks to the many states legalizing Cannabis over the last couple years. With even more states adopting both medical and recreational (adult) use laws, we can expect the train to keep moving full steam ahead. One of the biggest questions we always seem to hear in our Pueblo dispensary is, “how long do edibles stay in your system?”

This is a loaded question, as there are so many factors, and the questions can mean a few different things. First, we have to decipher if we’re asking the question to determine how long an individual can expect to be high, or if they are wanting to know when they’ll be able to pass a drug test. These two questions have drastically different answers, but share some of the same variables.

We’ll help you out with the first question right away. Since, you may be in a hurry to know how long a marijuana edible stays in your system because you’ve eaten one and don’t know when you’ll feel normal again.

How long before I feel normal again?

This is a great question for those who have ingested a marijuana edible. It’s something that is dire to know in some cases, as edibles can often cause a more intense high lasting for much longer than smoking marijuana.

However, this question doesn’t come without its caveats. First, let’s talk about the variables affecting how long you may feel high from an edible.

1. Body mass index
2. Tolerance for marijuana, or how often you use marijuana
3. Metabolism
4. How much THC you’ve ingested

All of these things will play a role in how long you feel the effects of the edible. Of course, each person has different answers to the variables, so we can really only give you generic answers and hope they fit your scenario. The most generic answer would be, you can feel the effects of an edible anywhere from two to 24 hours. This isn’t very reassuring, so let’s go a bit deeper to provide some better answers.

Let’s talk about the different types of edibles.

There are basically three different categories of edibles. Food items such as cookies, pot brownies, gummies, Cheeba Chews, Coda Chocolate Bars and other items you chew and swallow. Then, there are edibles you take orally but keep in your mouth for a while. Such as, hard candies, tinctures, suckers, and lozenges. Lastly, there are drinks like Dixie Elixirs, teas, sodas, and yes even coffee. All of these will have different amounts of time the edible will remain in your system, due to how your body absorbs the THC.

First, Food like edibles.

These delicious little morsels are absorbed through your body’s digestive, and thus take longer to set in and digest. They take about an hour to two hours to set in. So, be careful not to over do it by thinking you’re not feeling high. Also, be aware the high can sometimes last up to 8 to 10 hours, and can be mild to rather intense depending on the amount of THC you’ve consumed.

Next, Oral edibles.

Suckers, lozenges, hard candies, and even breath mints can all be turned into oral edibles. These are items your body breaks down with saliva and are absorbed through oral uptake or sublingually. Due to your body absorbing THC into the blood stream faster orally, typically 15 – 30 minutes, the effects are felt much quicker and don’t last quite as long. For most people the high from these edibles will last between two to four hours. Often, these are the preferred edibles for people who cannot smoke, but are looking for a quick onset.

Lastly, Marijuana or THC infused drinks.

This form of edible has been a fan favorite here in our Pueblo dispensary, and all over the state. They are typically a hybrid of the oral edibles and the food edibles. They have a quick onset, much like oral edibles, but have a longer lasting high similar to food edibles. This is due to oral absorption when drinking, and gastrointestinal absorption as fluid passes through your stomach and digestive tract. Typically this form of consumption lasts for about five to six hours.

How long to edibles stay in your system for drug tests?

Moving on to the second form of the question “how long do edibles stay in your system?” We’ll tackle the long term side of the question, so you can know when you may be able to pass a drug test.

This is a more difficult question to answer since the variables mentioned previously will play a larger role. First things first, if you are a consistent user of marijuana, you will have to wait much longer to be clear THC showing up in a drug test. So, we will tackle this question as though you are a one off user and have eaten your first edible.

With the prior variables in mind, the more THC content the edible has, the longer THC will show up in a drug test. If you consumed a mild amount of THC (10mg or less) and have a relatively normal metabolism, you can expect the THC to be present in your system for around five to seven days.

Now if you are a frequent THC user, the time tables get much longer. Typically your body will excrete 80-90% of the THC with in 5 days of consumption, but the last 10-20% can take up to 3 months to be fully out of your system.

Types of drug test and why they matter.

There are a few different types of drug tests, and you will need to know what type you are going to be doing if you want to pass them.

Urine test – This is by far the most popular type of test for THC. It is typically used for getting high level jobs and probation or athletics. If you are a regular user, trace amounts of THC edibles can be detected for as long as three months. For an infrequent user, one month is typically a good reference point.

Blood test – This is a popular form of testing when you’ve gotten in trouble or are trying to get a high level government job needing clearance. It is also a testing form that you’ll need to be clean of marijuana for a longer time. Typically THC can be detected in the blood for over three months for frequent users, or about 75 days for mild users.

Saliva test – Saliva tests are quick and easy and used by most businesses for entry level positions or immediate use tests if they suspect a person to be under the influence of marijuana. 24 hours is the recommended time to lay off the weed if you’re needing to pass a saliva test.

Hair test – This is the test that will show marijuana use for the longest, and is rarely used due to the ability for contamination rather than use. THC can easily remain in your hair for over three months. You can test positive for using marijuana, or simply being around it i.e. second hand smoke, or contact with someone who has THC on them.

How to get the benefits of Cannabis without the risk.

If you are looking for the benefits cannabis has to offer, but are wanting to avoid the high, or getting busted on a drug test, try CBD. CBD comes in many different forms. You can buy hemp flower and smoke it, you can find CBD oil tinctures and ingest it orally. There are even CBD moon rocks you can buy and smoke. CBD edibles are also a popular form of ingesting the cannabinoids you need to maintain a healthy cannabinoid system, but don’t carry the risk that marijuana edibles do. They can be found online, or in almost any dispensary alongside their THC counterparts, and do wonders to alleviate a number of ailments.

CBD is currently helping people who suffer from: chronic pain, epilepsy, diabetes, anxiety, depression, and many other disabilities.

You can find them in the same forms as you would find THC edibles in, and most of the time marijuana edible companies will make a CBD only line of their product. You can also find them online as they are legal if they contain less than .03% THC.

To sum everything up.

Some simple information to live by. Start small with edibles, and don’t worry about not feeling high right away. They are made to do the job, and you will feel the high eventually. If you are feeling anxious due to eating an edible and wondering when you won’t feel “high” anymore, take a few deep breaths, know you’re going to be just fine, and give it three to eight hours. Typically you won’t feel the anxiety for the whole time, and the peak will wear off soon enough.

If you are needing to pass a drug test, the best advice we can give is to avoid using marijuana. At least for a few weeks, if not a month. If that’s not possible, stay active, drink lots of water, and look into some cleansing drinks or synthetic urine. Don’t get too worried if you’re a first time or infrequent user, as they THC won’t build up in your system like a chronic user.

In short, be responsible, do your research, and you’ll be just fine!