In recent years, CBD use has risen in popularity across the country as many people turn to alternative methods of treating various ailments. But what even is CBD, and more importantly will it show up if you’re trying to pass a drug test? CBD is what's known as a cannabinoid and it's found naturally occurring in the cannabis sativa plant. THC and CBD are also the most abundant cannabinoids found in the plant also making them the most well studied. A cannabinoid is a chemical contained within cannabis plant that has the ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a biological system containing both cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids. This system affects many different body processes including keeping the body in what is called "homeostasis." Cannabinoids contained within the cannabis plant act on this system, that's how you feel the effects of cannabis. Every cannabinoid has a different set of effects the user may experience even though they're all from the same plant. For example THC is psychoactive and is the cannabinoid that gives someone the classic feeling of being “high.” THC is also the compound that most drug tests look for meaning any exposure can cause a positive result on a drug test. Cannabidiol on the other hand, is not psychoactive and rarely, if taken by itself will produce a positive result. Additionally, it can also give users many potential benefits such as reduced inflammation, anxiety and, pain reduction.
In this article we will be discussing different kinds of CBD products, whether or not CBD and THC products can cause you to fail drug tests, how and why these products can interfere with drug tests, and generally what to look out for and be aware of if you're using CBD in your day to day life.
Will CBD show up on a drug test?
Many individuals say they use cannabidiol for its various different potential benefits including relief from anxiety or depression, relief from pain that may be hard to manage, treatment of certain types of epilepsy, relief from the symptoms associated from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and reduction or relief from chronic inflammation.
There are three primary kinds of CBD; full spectrum CBD, CBD isolate, and broad spectrum CBD, . It's important to be able to identify the differences between these types of CBD products as certain kinds will show up on a drug test while some usually may not. CBD isolate is essentially the isolated pure CBD molecule by itself, meaning it does not contain any other cannabinoids or parts of the and hemp plant including THC. Broad spectrum CBD oil contains all of the cannabinoids that naturally occur except for THC. Essentially the THC has been removed entirely from the product through a process called distillation. Additionally, users may still get the added benefits of the other trace cannabinoids in addition to the CBD. These additional benefits are credited ‘the entourage effect.’ The entourage effect is the theory that the more cannabinoids that are present in the human body, the more synergistically they’ll work together, offering better and stronger effects than when taken alone. Full spectrum CBD oils contain all of the naturally occurring compounds of the cannabis plant including trace amounts of THC. While full spectrum CBD products are by law only allowed to contain .3% of THC by volume, the presence of THC at all is still enough to cause a positive drug test result.
Most drug tests look for the presence of THC as well as THC metabolites and not CBD since it is the psychoactive component of cannabis. Generally if you ensure to only use either broad spectrum or isolate products, hemp derived CBD oil it will not show up on a drug screening however there are some exceptions. The main thing to remember is stay away from any full spectrum products and generally there will be no problems with receiving a positive test result from a drug screening.
Does CBD oil show up on a drug test?
With its recent explosion in popularity after the 2018 farm bill made CBD legal in all 50 states there are many different products on the market. There are CBD tinctures, edibles, capsules, vapes, transdermals, salves and so many more ways to experience CBD. Tinctures are usually an oil or water soluble base containing the CBD and you can take these sublingually. When taken sublingually, effects usually start within 10-15 minutes and can last anywhere between four and six hours. CBD edibles can include gummies, chocolate, or any ingestible food that has been infused with the CBD. Since they have to be broken down in the digestive system the effects of CBD edibles generally take an hour to an hour and a half to take effect but last longer, somewhere between six to eight hours. Vaping CBD, through e-juice, a distillate cartridge, CBD extracts, or another method is the fastest acting method of getting effects but it is also the shortest lasting, usually only offering effects for two to three hours. Topicals such as salves or lotions are another option for localized pain relief and generally last for a few hours.
The CBD market is unregulated for the most part so it is extremely important to make sure you are purchasing CBD oil from a reputable company. If you purchase CBD oil from a shady manufacturer there are a multitude of different things that could go wrong. Many companies are untrustworthy about what they put into their products, such as including what products do and don’t contain THC. Another large issue within the CBD oil industry is companies mislabelling their products. For example, labeling a product that is actually full spectrum and contains THC, as a THC free broad spectrum product. This can be especially concerning if someone is trying to pass a drug test. Always make sure to purchase your CBD products from a reputable company such as Discover CBD. Another way you can ensure you’re getting products without THC is to look for companies that utilize third party lab testing. Many companies, especially if they’re reputable, will add a qr code on the side of the product. When scanned it’ll take you to a third party lab test which allows you to see a full breakdown of what’s in the product.
Will CBD show on a probation drug test?
There are a variety of reasons someone might need to pass a drug test. If you’re trying to pass one for employment purposes, chances are as long as you’re taking CBD that contains no traces of THC you won’t have an issue. The majority of drug tests that are administered are looking specifically for only THC. While there are certain tests that can look specifically for CBD, they cost extra and the requester of the drug test would have to specifically ask for testing of that compound. Since CBD is federally legal, doesn’t impair your ability to perform your job functions, and since it costs employers extra money when companies are usually looking for ways to cut costs, this is not an issue that arises often. Even when applying for a federal job including at the DEA they don’t do workplace testing for CBD use.
Hair tests, urine tests, and mouth swab drug tests are the most commonly administered types of drug tests for cannabis. Urine and mouth swab tests have a very low threshold on the amount of THC or THC metabolites, the stuff your body creates after breaking down THC, that needs to be in your system in order to test positive. Hair tests are more designed to catch chronic use of a substance so the threshold is slightly higher on the amount of THC needed to show up as a positive result. The generally accepted lengths of time tests are able to detect THC in the system is about 15 days for a urine test, 3 months for a hair test, and a few days for a saliva test. This can vary depending upon the person and dosage and frequency of use.
The half life of CBD is between eighteen and thirty-two hours. However, it may still be detectable for much longer than that. If your CBD does contain any THC be aware that depending on the person and the type of test, it may be detectable for up to a few days after one use or up to a month or more with consistent heavy use.
Can CBD make you fail a drug test?
There are multiple reasons that CBD may interfere with drug test results. Often times many individuals don't fully understand the difference in the various types of CBD products such as which do and do not contain trace amount of tetrahydrocannabinol. Keep in mind that full spectrum CBD products do in fact contain trace amounts of THC which will cause a a positive result on drug tests. If you're looking for CBD free of any THC it's best to look for either CBD isolate or CBD Broad Spectrum as these variations should always be THC-free. It's also important to ensure you're purchasing your CBD products from a trustworthy source as some companies may either mislabel products or lie about what is contained within the product. Due to the lack of federal regulation on CBD and how it’s manufactured, cross-contamination can also cause issues as a product that isn’t supposed to contain THC may actually contain trace amounts. Discover CBD has the largest ISO-7 clean room in the United States for hemp manufacturing to ensure that cross-contamination is never an issue.
If you're concerned about an upcoming drug test another item to keep in mind is to try your best to eliminate your exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. While it’s unlikely that secondhand exposure will cause you to fail a drug test, it isn’t impossible especially if you’re exposed to it for an extended period of time.
The best steps to avoiding positive drug test results while using CBD products are as follows, never buy full spectrum products, always buy either broad spectrum or CBD isolate as these are THC free and buy your CBD oil from a reputable company who third-party tests all of their CBD products. Please be aware that even if you follow all these steps, there is still always a possibility you could test positive whenever you are using any cannabis related product.
Does CBD show up on a drug test?
Does CBD show up on a drug test? The bottom line is that the answer is more complicated than a simple yes or no, it depends on several different factors. The type of CBD, the type of drug test, cross-contamination, the reliability of the company you purchase your products from all matters greatly. If you’re concerned about passing an upcoming drug test, always make sure to purchase either isolate or broad spectrum CBD as these types of CBD generally will not register as positive on a drug test. Full spectrum CBD does contain trace amounts of THC. Under federal regulation, this amount must be under .3% but any amount of THC is enough to register positive on a drug test, depending on the type of drug test. A couple other things to keep in mind is to avoid secondhand THC smoke exposure as this can result in testing positive- especially if you are exposed for any extended period of time. Ultimately it's important to make sure you purchase your CBD products from a company you can trust, such as Discover CBD!
