How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

CBD Oil in Dropper Bottle

One of the questions that beginners and relatively ‘experienced’ CBD users often ask is, “how long does CBD stay in your system?” There is no single answer to this question because your body takes different durations to clear the CBD depending on the dosage, in what form you took it, your metabolism, and the frequency of usage.

You might also feel the effects of CBD differently depending on how you use it. Likewise, the method of administration also affects how long it will be detectable in your body.

People mull over, “how long does CBD stay in your system?” when they want to decide to stop using it, switch administration methods, or increase the dosage. Although many people ask this question out of fear of failing drug tests, they fear for nothing. Drug tests look for THC metabolites rather than CBD. You should be safe so long as you use legal hemp-based CBD products with less than 0.3% THC (more on that later.)

The longevity of cannabidiol in the body is also the source of many corresponding questions. Let’s break down some of the most pertinent queries.

How Long Should I Have to Wait for CBD Oil to Work?

The time it takes for CBD to kick in is affected by the same factors that affect how quickly your body eliminates it. The effects of CBD can’t act the same way for everybody. However, your ingestion method is the most significant factor affecting how soon the CBD kicks in. Several rules of thumb also need a mention, including:

  • If you use an ingestion method that does not go through your digestive tract, you might feel the effects quicker. The digestive system is slower because the CBD has to travel a long way to the liver before entering the bloodstream.
  • In addition to slowing down the time needed for CBD to enter your blood, the liver deactivates a sizeable portion of the chemical, with some sources setting the loss as high as 70%.
  • Smoking or vaping your CBD is more effective because it does not pass through your digestive tract. Up to 56% of the CBD reaches the bloodstream.
  • The bioavailability of topically applied CBD is also relatively high.
  • In some cases, you will not feel the effects of CBD until you administer it several times.

Depending on your ingestion method, here are the detailed estimates of how long CBD takes to kick in.

For Sublingual Administration

When you apply CBD under the tongue and hold it for approximately 90 seconds before swallowing, you should feel it kicking between 15-20 minutes.

Topical Lotions, Creams, and Balms

Sometimes people are wary about swallowing substances they have not used before. Fortunately, there are a plethora of CBD products that you apply to the skin. These products effectively revitalize the skin, reduce inflammation and help alleviate pain without the need to swallow anything.

Your skin absorbs CBD through the pores to deliver it to the CB2 receptors. The CBD takes 10-90 minutes to produce a discernible effect.

Oral CBD

Orally delivered CBD is often in the form of gummies and capsules. Many other forms of edible CBD exist, including cookies, shakes, and dressings.

When you take CBD orally, you can expect the effects to kick in within 20-90 minutes. If you wonder, “how long do CBD gummies stay in your system,” it will last until your body eliminates them from the blood.

Smoking or Vaping

CBD will stay in your body for a shorter time if you get it into the bloodstream as soon as possible. This point answers the question, “how long does CBD stay in your system?”

Vaporizing CBD is a remarkably efficient way to deliver cannabinoids. You can expect to feel it kicking in within minutes.

CBD Oil with Vape Pen

Factors that Affect How Long CBD Stays in Your System

To better understand how long CBD stays in your system, we should identify the factors that aid or deter your body from eliminating it. These factors can help us to answer the question, “how long does CBD oil stay in your system?” The duration CBD is detectable in the body varies from person to person. The following conditions determine how long CBD lasts in your body.

Your Body Type

Being a fat-soluble compound, CBD lingers in fatty tissue. Therefore, people who have more fat will retain more CBD. In contrast, lean people will use it quickly because they do not have a lot of fat to keep the CBD. Age is another factor affecting your body’s ability to metabolize CBD. It takes longer for the compound to clear the systems of older people.

Level of Physical Activity

If you perform intense physical activity when using CBD, your increased metabolism will reduce the time it takes to leave your system. The effects will also kick in sooner than a person that has a sedentary lifestyle.

How Often Do You Take CBD?

This point is related to the first point on body type. If you take CBD often, more of it will accumulate in your body. Therefore, your body will need more time to metabolize it after you stop using it.

Quantity of CBD Used

If you use large amounts of CBD, your body will use what it can and store the rest. If a person takes a single dose of CBD, it clears their system after a day or two. Their body clears the CBD quickly because most of it gets metabolized immediately without a reserve.

Do you Take It Together with Food?

Your body will absorb and utilize CBD quicker if you take it on an empty stomach. On the other hand, the effects of CBD might not hit you as strongly if you ingest it with food. Additionally, it might last longer if you are full because the body will spend more time metabolizing it.

Delivery Method

Various administration methods affect how quickly CBD is absorbed and how soon it leaves the system. We have already covered some effects of delivery methods on the efficacy of CBD.

How Long Do CBD Oil Effects Last in Your System?

In most cases, CBD oil will produce a discernible effect on your body for 2-12 hours. If you take a large dose, you might feel its effects for up to a day.

CBD leaves your system based on the factors mentioned before. However, it will clear sooner if you consume a large amount of water. Furthermore, people who use CBD frequently metabolize it more efficiently.

Remember that CBD can be detected in your system several days after its effects wear out.

Does CBD Give a Positive on a Drug Test Result?

People who have a scheduled drug test often ask, “how long does CBD stay in your system?” The half-life of CBD ranges between two and five days. Using this figure, the concentration of CBD in your body falls below detectable levels within 5-10 days. However, this figure might be lower or higher depending on the person.

A study that tested some people for CBD in 2016 could detect CBD within two hours. However, the compound was absent after a retest after 24 hours.

Very few tests look for CBD specifically. The most common drug tests that could give a positive result are tests that look for THC. Some full-spectrum CBD products contain THC. However, hemp-based CBD most likely has less than 0.3% THC and is undetectable in a drug test. People with scheduled drug tests might want to lay off the CBD one week before the test.

Should People Use CBD When Breastfeeding?

CBD makes its way into breast milk. Therefore, mothers who want to breastfeed are wise to discontinue using it one week before they intend to breastfeed.

FAQs

1. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Urine Test?

A urine test can detect traces of CBD for up to five days. Doing a lot of exercise and fluids can help improve your body’s metabolism of CBD.

2. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Hair?

A test can find CBD in hair for up to three months after consumption.

3. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Blood?

Even though it is unpopular, a blood test can detect CBD for up to one week.

4. How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Saliva?

A saliva test for CBD is also quite rare. Nonetheless, it can detect CBD for up to 36 hours from ingestion.

5. Does CBD Interact with Medications?

CBD is known to inhibit the CYP450 enzyme that breaks down drugs. Consequently, it might cause a build-up of the drugs in the blood.

Final Thoughts

CBD effects can be evident for up to a few hours. However, lab tests can find CBD for up to several days. If you have not used CBD for a while and take a low dosage, it might be gone in one day. However, the body might take up to one week to eliminate CBD from its systems apart from the hair.

People who use CBD frequently might need more than one week to bring the substance below detectable levels. On the plus side, not many tests look for CBD specifically. Hopefully, this article answered your question, “how long does CBD stay in your system?”

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