{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/time/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2060-markdown","title":"How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your Body?","slug":"how-long-does-marijuana-stay-in-your-body","content":"Despite the potential therapeutic benefits, using marijuana is\r\ncurrently prohibited under federal law. Additionally, testing in the workplace is common, with many people feeling their jobs may be at risk in case of detection.\r\n\r\nAs a result, many prospective and current medical marijuana users want to know how long marijuana\r\nstays in their system so they can reap the benefits while avoiding the\r\npotential legal repercussions. \r\n\r\n**Detecting the Presence of Marijuana**\r\n\r\nWhen marijuana is inhaled or ingested, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and\r\nother cannabinoids are absorbed into the bloodstream. THC is detectable\r\nin the blood for only a short time before being broken down into\r\nmolecules known as metabolites. These metabolites are stored in fat and\r\nare eliminated from the body over time. Determining exactly how long\r\nmarijuana stays in the body depends greatly on how long THC and its\r\nmetabolites remain in the following biological specimens:\r\n\r\n### Urine\r\n\r\nUrine reveals the presence of THC-COOH, a THC metabolite, for up to\r\neight days after a single use of marijuana. The accuracy of urine\r\ntesting declines after about a week, but many frequent or heavy\r\nmarijuana users continue to test positive for up to 15 and 90 days,\r\nrespectively. Diluting urine with water or other substances can increase\r\nthe chances of a false-negative result.\r\n\r\n### Hair\r\n\r\nHair provides the longest record of past marijuana use, and detection\r\ntimes are based on hair length. It takes about 5-10 days for hair\r\ncontaining THC-COOH to grow above the scalp where it can be extracted,\r\nand moving from root to tip, every half inch of hair provides a 30-day\r\ndetection window. A standard hair test uses a 1.5-inch sample of hair\r\ncut at the scalp line, and covers a 90-day detection period. The results\r\nof hair analysis are not affected by external contaminants, such as hair\r\ndyes and styling products.\r\n\r\n### Blood\r\n\r\nTHC is detectable in the blood for appropriately six to 24 hours after a\r\nsingle use of marijuana. Heavy or frequent use can produce positive\r\nresults for up to a week.\r\n\r\n### Saliva\r\n\r\nSaliva testing offers the shortest detection window and thus provides a\r\nrecord of more recent marijuana use. THC is most readily detectable in\r\nsaliva one to two hours after ingestion, but can continue to produce\r\npositive results for up to 12 hours. The results of saliva analysis are\r\nnot always reliable because only minimal amounts of marijuana are\r\nexcreted in saliva.\r\n\r\n**Factors Affecting the Elimination of Marijuana**\r\n\r\nEstimating how long marijuana stays in the body is a challenging task\r\nbecause of the many factors that influence the drug's elimination. Some\r\nof these include:\r\n\r\n-   **Amount and frequency of use:** Frequent or heavy marijuana use\r\n    typically results in longer elimination times.\r\n-   **Metabolic rate:** People with high metabolic rates break down THC\r\n    faster than those with low metabolic rates and thus eliminate\r\n    marijuana faster.\r\n-   **Age and overall health:** Metabolism slows with age and ill\r\n    health, resulting in longer elimination periods.\r\n\r\nThe amount of time marijuana stays in the body depends on a combination\r\nof factors that are unique to each individual. In a small percentage of\r\ncases, marijuana may stay in the body for longer than the times\r\ndescribed here.\r\n\r\n[Photo Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/spapax/4864045598/in/photolist-8pPvi9-6yJcjt-jRcDHD-94iuSL-p6MCC5-dzFnp3-fKm5e6-5WgcMT-mLTYN7-7DCC5m-d9txSf-88G64K-pn5hmK-5DVfVF-rNDquC-qNUG9X-eb373f-gXvhUX-2TtdZm-dtgLMo-hKgkTV-rWJ5K-dZrrr-7CBSbv-c3sm2W-dtPGk-5qhemo-pELvqg-HmAzJ-srLvJp-amT8d2-rqW93q-7Q9sio-7gYhP-5ZvVMf-71c6CD-4rFABb-ePnmx-Kr1ZU-qJrofv-iwCDhG-5eqYC3-cS5Rqj-8Luk2K-9grNy-srCwVE-co64gJ-7svqiD-nxhgPZ-oeXqzE)\r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.5267175572519085,"src":"/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/86732/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.png","srcSet":"/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/69585/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.png 200w,\n/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/497c6/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.png 400w,\n/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/86732/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.png 596w","srcWebp":"/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/a6880/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/61e93/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.webp 200w,\n/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/1f5c5/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.webp 400w,\n/static/6e98958a5ee565cfb9746215b363b56d/a6880/7327ef5a1d418846597b77ffb49c5bf5.webp 596w","sizes":"(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":5842,"name":"Time","slug":"time","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}