Let’s imagine a scenario that involves you smoking pot with your friends, vaping with your significant others, or using tinctures alone at your home. All is going well and good until you are informed of an impending drug test. Now what?
The first thought in your mind might be along this line: “I really need to flush Marijuana out of my body, fast!” Luckily, this article will be addressing this exact concern of yours. Whether the drug test is required for employment or athletes require for a doping test, you need to get Marijuana out of body fast.
This guide will seek to answer your concern, elaborately, and comprehensively. Hopefully, we will be able to help you out from this tight spot.
Drug test: why is it needed?
Medicinal cannabis from hemp production is legalized in the US. All 50 states have allowed the consumption of cannabis-related products if the THC level is less than 0.3%.
Many people consume Marijuana or weed for medicinal and recreational reasons, and it can stay in their bodies for quite some time. Many employers (57% as per a study) tend to use drug tests to screen potential employees and choose only the ones who come out clean. The reasons for doing so may be stereotypical, but it can inhibit you from landing your dream job. Is weed addictive, you can find out here.
Whether the employers have the moral right to require drug tests is another debate, but it has a significant impact on your career prospects if you use cannabis for any number of reasons. Now, the question arises: How can you outsmart the system and get the job? For that, we will need to understand the technicalities related to body anatomy.
How long does THC stay in your body?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive component that stays in your body after using pot. Once it is in your system, THC breaks down into metabolites. These are the chemicals that are traced in a drug test.
The usual period for the presence of metabolites is around seven days. However, if you are a heavy smoker or obese, then the metabolites can take several weeks before leaving the body. Several factors can dictate the presence of THC in your body. Some of the health and lifestyle reasons are described below:
Frequency of usage
The number of times you smoke pot can impact the detectable level of THC. If you are a frequent marijuana user, then you will gradually need to consume more of the product to get “high” because your body keeps on adapting. This means that heavy users can expect THC to linger in their systems for a more significant time relative to light users. This is because of the heavy users plateau at a higher dosage of Marijuana.
Metabolism
Your metabolism determines the time taken for THC to break down and leave your system. If your metabolism is slow, then you can expect the chemicals to stay in your body for a higher time period. Metabolism itself depends on a range of factors such as age, gender, height, weight, and genetics.
Body fat
TCH metabolites are stored in fat cells. Therefore, unhealthy people or those who have some medical condition due to which they may accumulate weight are at a higher risk to have THC in their system for a more extended time.
Potency
Is your pot concentrated and potent? The THC levels of Marijuana have a strong bearing on how long will Marijuana stay in your body. High THC levels in your favorite Marijuana might lead to a more substantial presence of metabolites in the system.
Exercise/ lifestyle
Having a workout regimen in your weekly routine can also influence the length of time for which THC is present in your system. This factor comes with opposing views about the impact of exercise in this regard.
Types of drug tests
Most employers resort to a urine test to screen the candidates. We will be discussing this one, along with other standard drug tests. Knowing the test type might prove to be advantageous in ascertaining how to flush out Marijuana from your system.
Urinalysis
This is the most dreaded of all the drug tests. A standard five-panel urine test checks for the following compounds:
- Cannabis
- Phencyclidine
- Cocaine
- Opiates
- Amphetamines
Even though urinalysis is the most common for drug tests, there are other tests available to screen for illicit compounds and chemicals in your body.
Oral fluid analysis
Oral fluid or saliva is also be used to check for recent cannabis consumption. The significance of this test is because it may take some time for cannabis to enter your bloodstream. However, saliva analysis can check for any recent pot activity.
For average consumers, THC can be detected in the saliva for up to 24 hours. However, the time period for heavy users increases to 34 hours.
Blood test
Blood analysis checks for the presence of THC in your bloodstream. After consuming cannabis, the THC enters your bloodstream immediately through the lungs. As THC does not remain in the bloodstream for long, the average time for it to leave your system is from two to seven days. Therefore, blood tests are useful for detecting marijuana intake in recent days.
Fortunately, light users tend to get away with blood tests because, unlike heavy users, the THC chemical escapes the blood more quickly.
Hair test
This is an uncommon test, as opposed to the drug tests mentioned above. It measures the THC-COOH (metabolized THC) in your hair follicles. This test can detect cannabis consumption over the past 90 to 120 days.
However, a hair test is not an accurate measure of recent cannabis intake. The THC chemicals take a few days before reaching your hair follicles. Nevertheless, this test is the hardest to get around.
Detection windows of marijuana
Each type of test has a different detection window within which it tests for THC and other chemicals. If you know of your drug test date and deliberately time your marijuana intake to fall out of the detection window, then you can pass the drug test.
The detection windows of Marijuana after a single use are given below:
- Saliva test: 12 to 24 hours after use
- Urine test: 1 to 3 days after use
- Blood test: 1 to 3 days after use
- Hair test: from 3 to 5 days after use up to 90 days after use
Keep in mind that the detection windows are not valid for heavy users, and they are at a disadvantage as opposed to a light user.
How to flush marijuana from your system?
Flushing marijuana from your system is not an easy task. With the progress in the medical field, the detection of THC in your body has become quite effective. That being said, several ways can help you in eliminating Marijuana from the system.
Stop marijuana consumption
It may sound obvious, but we are cautious here.
Stop marijuana consumption as soon as you hear about the drug test. Even if you feel that the date is far enough, it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Marijuana intake ca be triggered in a social setting or anxious situations. Be prepared to ditch plans with friends where you are likely to indulge in smoking weed. Moreover, avoid stressful situations and make contingency plans for negative situations such as binge-watching Netflix.
It is always advisable to be proactive than reactive in your approach.
Drink water
The idea behind this line of action is to dilute the urine sample in case of a urinalysis. There is a certain threshold below which the THC levels in your sample may be ignored and reported in the results. By drinking lots of water, the THC level as a proportion to the sample decreases, which increases your chances to clear the drug test.
However, drinking water only dilutes your urine for the time being. If you have a few days before taking the test, then it is advisable to take the drinking process slowly. Have a maximum intake of 4 gallons of water because excess water intake may potentially harm you.
By drinking more water each day, and consuming a few liters of water before the drug test, you can dilute your urine sample.
However, the downside of this action is that the creatine level in your body would be low, and the urine may be colorless, both of which can alert the lab assistants and lead to reexamination.
Vitamin B and Creatine
Drinking lots of water is a no-brainer if you want to dilute your sample. However, we came across two issues: The colorless urine sample and the low creatine level.
The first issue of a colorless urine sample can be solved by taking Vitamin B pills because it gives the natural yellow tinge to your urine. Specifically, consuming 50-100 mg of Vitamin B-2 and B-12 a few hours before the test can be quite helpful in passing the urinalysis.
Moreover, the second issue of a low creatine level can be addressed by taking creatine supplements five to six hours before the test because it has a half-life of three hours. This will ensure that your creatine level is not adversely affected by excessive water intake.
Detox drinks
Alternatively, detox drinks can also help you dilute the urine sample. They work on the same principle that we stated above: Maintaining the usual creatine level and the yellow urine color.
Why would you wish to buy a detox drink instead of following the advice given above? The primary reason is that of convenience and the removal of the hassle of finding the right amount of Vitamin B and creatine to ingest before a drug test.
Avoid exercise
Working out is a great way to stay in shape and gain physical as well as mental strength. However, if your drug test is right around the corner, then it is advisable to avoid any form of physical exercise.
The reason is that exercise burns fat, which can elevate the THC level in your bloodstream and cause THC metabolites to gain a higher presence in your system. Therefore, it is recommended to stay out of the gym before a drug test.
On the flip side, if you have a few weeks before the drug test, then it makes perfect sense to exercise so that you burn fat and allow THC to escape your body gradually and effectively. However, be mindful of pausing your workout regimen a couple of days before the drug test.
Synthetic urine
The urinalysis can be successfully passed through the use of synthetic urine. It is the only sure way of getting through the urine test unscathed. Synthetic urine is a system that provides fake urine as a lab sample. You no longer have to worry about the THC level in your urine.
However, it is essential to do the end of the research to get the authentic product from the market. Many producers are making ambiguous and wrong claims. Remember that one wrong and uninformed step can cost you the dream job. Hence, it is better to be armed with all the necessary details related to the synthetic urine supplier.
Detoxing naturally
You may be looking for ways to detox naturally instead of purchasing products from outside. The positive news is that a proper diet can surely speed up the elimination process of THC in your body. One way to go about is to increase the fiber intake in your daily diet.
The primary benefit of fiber is that you poop more. And luckily, THC and THC metabolites escape your body during bowel movements. Therefore, if you’re looking to flush Marijuana from your system, then you may wish to spend time in the toilet more often than usual.
A common source of dietary fiber are as follows:
- Apples
- Beans
- Oats
- Berries
- Nuts and seeds
- Apricots
- Leafy greens
- Pears
Final thoughts
The prospect of going through a drug test can make a marijuana user nervous. After all, your job may be on the line. The anxiety is understandable, and the accompanying skepticism on reducing THC levels through various suggestions is reasonable, too.
But it is better to try your best instead of needlessly succumbing without putting up a fight. To be well-informed of the drug test type and self-awareness of your marijuana consumption can help you in setting up a definitive action plan to succeed in passing the drug test.
All in all, life is too short to live in fear and regret. You will pass through a drug test, get your dream job, and continue with consuming Marijuana. Just be smart about it and let this guide help you out of this tricky situation. Together, we will succeed!
