Typically, hair test is most reliable for daily or near-daily users but is not able to detect light cannabis consumption. Smoking weed or having an edible once or twice may not show up in this test. Consult with a physician if you are a medical cannabis patient or are worried about adverse effects from changing your consumption habits. While it may be tempting to shave your entire body of hair before taking a hair follicle test, that may be more suspicious than practical. And even if you can come back and retake the test when your hair grows back, the shaving will not have removed any remaining traces of THC in your system.
How to Pass a Hair Follicle Drug Test?
The ramifications of a positive drug test can negatively impact your life by putting your health insurance, livelihood or career at risk. Other factors, such as the consumption of other drugs or alcohol, can intensify this Substance abuse feeling as well as other effects. The effects of THC are collective, meaning that a person who smokes several times in a brief period has consumed a higher dose of THC than a person who smokes once. Therefore, they are more likely to receive positive test results. At Epiphany Wellness, all information published on our website has been rigorously medically reviewed by a doctorate level medical professional, and cross checked to ensure medical accuracy. The extracted metabolites are then analyzed using sophisticated techniques such as gas chromatography or mass spectrometry.
Situational and Biological Factors That Influence How Long THC Stays In Your System
The body can store this byproduct in places like fat cells for weeks or months. Physical activity and metabolism can help decrease drug detection windows. More activity and increased metabolism times can mean your body fully processes and excretes cannabinoids from your body. In this article, we’ll offer three estimates for drug detection windows. As a person who has a subconscious desire to serve others, you might be wondering how this information can be helpful to someone. Well, hair drug testing is often used in situations where a thorough and accurate history of drug use is needed.
So, How Long Does THC Stay in Your Hair?
Then it will be dissolved using chemicals, to release the drug metabolites such as THC trapped inside the hair shaft. Hair captures cannabis metabolites as it grows, trapping evidence of cannabis use in the hair shaft. Since hair is said to grow at an average rate of 0.5 inches per month, a 1.5-inch sample can provide a 90-day history of THC exposure. When it comes to removing THC from your system, time is the most important factor. While there are some ways that you can speed up this process, they won’t magically remove the cannabis from your system.
- A truly CBD-only product should not trigger a positive drug test for marijuana.
- The only reliable method is to avoid THC products for at least three months or remove affected hair.
- The extracted metabolites are then analyzed using sophisticated techniques such as gas chromatography or mass spectrometry.
- Typical saliva tests identify 5 to 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of THC.
- While estimates hopefully these windows can help you better prepare yourself for the realities of what a drug test might detect.
A small study of fourteen regular marijuana users examined the effects of 35 minutes of exercise on a stationary bike. The results found that THC concentrations increased significantly, suggesting that exercising how long does weed stay in your system right before a drug test may increase the chances of testing positive. Researchers posit that exercise may prompt fat cells to release THC.
How Can You Beat a Hair Follicle Drug Test? Dos And Don’ts
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Anand Dugar, an anesthesiologist, pain medicine physician and the founder of Green Health Docs. Graduating from medical school in 2004 and residency in 2008, Dr. Dugar has been a licensed physician for almost 20 years and has been leading the push for medical cannabis nationwide. While estimates hopefully these windows can help you better prepare yourself for the realities of what a drug test might detect. These can be used in workplaces or used by police in roadside tests to confirm cannabis use. The area between your cheek and gums is swabbed to test for any cannabinoid metabolites that may be present in your oral fluid.
- Hair drug testing is simple and non-invasive and it offers a longer detection window.
- Drug metabolites can attach to melanin so people with darker hair colors can be more likely to test positive as they have more metabolites or cannabinoids in their hair.
- Chronic heavy use increases the length of time that it can be detected.
This variability impacts hair follicle drug testing, as the detection window generally spans around three months. Hair follicle tests cannot pinpoint the exact dates of drug use but can determine whether substances have been used within this timeframe. On average, THC can be detected on hair samples for up to 90 days after the last consumption of cannabis-based products. This is significantly longer that other THC tests including urine, saliva, and blood tests. Hair drug testing is a highly accurate method of detecting drug use, as it can provide a longer detection window compared to other types of drug tests.
Factors That Influence Detection Time in Hair Follicles
We’re Recovery Unplugged, a behavioral health initiative bringing effective treatment right to your home. Because if there’s one thing more haunting than millions of addiction deaths, it’s knowing they’re preventable. She holds degrees in behavioral psychology, cultural anthropology, and marketing. When she is not working, she enjoys travel, rollerblading, and playing with her dog, Hamilton. Typical saliva tests identify 5 to 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of THC. The likelihood of getting a false positive from a blood test is low.