How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

Airi Macaluso

Medical Hemp Expert, Hemp Wellness Consultant, and Long-Time Cannabinoid Writer

CBD, or cannabidiol, is the awesome non-psychoactive compound found in hemp and cannabis plants. People love it for its potential wellness benefits, like promoting restfulness, feelings of calmness, and more. With all these perks, it’s no wonder more people are incorporating CBD into their daily lives.

Research into CBD has continued to uncover even more potential benefits of this popular cannabinoid, which has drawn even more people to try it out for themselves. Many new users have a lot of questions regarding how much CBD they should take and how long they will feel the effects of CBD.

With many people using CBD daily, a new question has popped up: how long does CBD stay in your system?

To answer the basic question, CBD stays in the system for two to five days for most people, but some people may have CBD in their bodies for shorter or longer periods than this average.That said though, let’s get one thing straight. Just because CBD can stay in your body for a few days doesn’t mean you’ll be feeling the effects for a few days. The effects of CBD only last for several hours — your body just takes its sweet time processing it and sending it on its way.

When it comes to answering the question of how long CBD affects the body, there are a lot of factors to consider. For example, each person’s metabolic rate will differ. You also need to consider how much CBD was consumed and how it was consumed.

As CBD becomes more popular, new users might wonder how much to take and how long its effects last. But the real burning question is: will using CBD products make you fail a drug test? Let’s take a deeper look at the factors that impact how long CBD stays in the body.

Can CBD Be Detected in Drug Tests?

Yes, CBD can technically be identified in both urine tests and blood tests — however, it’s typically only when the test is explicitly looking for it.

Allow us to explain: in most cases, drug tests aren’t concerned about your CBD levels at all. Since hemp-derived CBD is federally legal, it’s generally not a primary concern and isn’t worth the time (or money) to test for it.

THC, on the other hand, is still illegal and is usually the main shining star of drug screenings.

Technically, full spectrum CBD can contain trace amounts of THC, which might influence the test result. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp can legally contain up to 0.3% of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry weight basis — this means that full spectrum, hemp-derived CBD products can be sold legally, despite containing THC.

Keep in mind that while full spectrum CBD products may have trace amounts of THC, CBD isolate products are THC-free. To minimize the risk of a positive drug test, it’s best to choose CBD products with strict lab tests confirming their purity, quality, and lack of contaminants.

Our Peaceful Mind gummies and Sweet Dream gummies are made with CBD isolate, and we make the Certificate of Analysis available and accessible for each and every batch.

How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

The half-life of CBD (aka, the time it takes for the active substance to be reduced by half) ranges from 18 to 32 hours. In other words, CBD metabolites can remain in your system for about two to five days.

But wait, there’s more — there are a variety of important factors, like dosage and frequest that influence the exact amount of time CBD sticks around.

Before we cover those factors in more detail, here is a rough estimate of how long CBD stays in different parts of your body:

In Your Urine: CBD can be detected in urine for up to three days after a single use, depending on factors like dosage, frequency of use, and individual metabolism. For frequent users, it could be detectable for up to 15 days or more.
In Your Saliva: CBD hangs around in saliva for about 24 to 48 hours after use, depending on the amount and frequency of CBD consumption and your metabolism.
In Your Blood: CBD can chill in the bloodstream for two to five days after use, influenced by dosage, frequency, and individual metabolism. Heavy users may have detectable levels of CBD in their blood for up to a week or more.
In Your Hair: CBD can be detected in hair follicles for up to 90 days after use, although this testing method is much less common. Hair tests can find CBD because the compound enters the hair shaft and stays there for a while.

What Factors Affect How Long CBD Stays in the Body?

Now, let’s cover some of the major factors that will determine how long CBD stays in your body.
Five crucial pieces of information play in role in how long CBD remains in your system:
1. How much CBD you use
2. How often you use CBD
3. Your unique body (after all, you’re one of a kind)
4. What and how much you eat
How you take CBD

How Much CBD You Use: It's All About Quantity

The duration CBD stays in your body can be directly linked to the amount you’re taking. Naturally, a higher dosage, or serving size, of CBD will remain in your body longer than a lower dosage.

For instance, an average single CBD dosage (around 20 mg) typically leaves your system in about a day, while a more substantial 100 mg serving might take longer to part ways. Think of it like a lingering house guest — you love them, and they love to hang around.

How Often You Use CBD: Consistency Matters

Similar to dosage, the frequency of your CBD usage impacts how long it stays in your body. The more regularly you consume CBD, the longer it may stay in your system as the compound may start to build up over time.

The more often that you invite CBD over, the longer it will want to stay!

Your Unique Body: Embrace Your Individuality

CBD affects each person differently since we all have unique body compositions. Factors like your metabolism rate play a significant role in how quickly CBD is processed in your body. And since CBD is fat-soluble(it finds a home within your fat cells), those with a higher body mass index (BMI) might retain CBD in their systems longer than those with lower BMIs.

Additionally, younger people also have faster metabolisms than older people, which means CBD may leave the body more quickly for younger users.

What and How Much You Eat: Food's Role

Your food choices and the amount you consume can impact how long CBD remains in your body. Taking CBD on an empty stomach allows for faster digestion compared to consuming it after a satisfying meal.

The sooner that CBD is digested, the faster it will leave your system.

Method of Use: Choose Your CBD Journey

There are so many different ways to take CBD, and how you choose to take CBD can determine how quickly it starts working and how long it remains in your system.

Let’s explore the options:

Vaping CBD: A brief encounter! Vaping CBD allows it to enter your lungs and take effect rapidly, but it doesn’t stay in your body for an extended period.
Oils and drops under the tongue: These are absorbed quickly and tend to stay in your body longer than other methods, like a dependable companion.
CBD edibles (gummies, capsules, etc.): They take a bit longer to digest, providing you with a more prolonged presence of CBD in your body.
CBD topical products (creams, balms, etc.): These are generally slower to absorb and might remain in your body for a more extended duration.

How Long Do the Effects of CBD Last?

While CBD is detectable in the body for two to five days, that doesn’t mean your body will feel the effects of CBD that whole time. CBD is not psychoactive like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and does not produce a “high.” Instead, it interacts with receptors in the body to offer potential wellness benefits without intoxicating effects.

So how long do these CBD benefits affect the brain and body? The answer relies heavily on your method of consumption (in addition to the previous factors mentioned earlier).

Let’s explore the different forms of CBD products and their effects:

Ingestible CBD

Edible ingestion is arguably the most popular method for experiencing CBD benefits. However, swallowing CBD is also the slowest way to feel its effects. When you consume CBD gummies or CBD oil softgels, they must be processed in the digestive system before entering the bloodstream.

It can take 30 to 90 minutes to reach your endocannabinoid system, depending on your metabolism and recent food intake. The effects can last up to 10 hours.

Sublingual CBD

When CBD oil tinctures (commonly known as drops) are placed directly under the tongue, they are absorbed through the tiny capillaries in this region. These capillaries allow the CBD to absorb into the bloodstream without passing through the liver, providing the user with effects within 15 to 20 minutes. Often, these effects last between four and six hours.

Topical CBD

Applying CBD directly to the skin can help you enjoy localized benefits right where you need them.

Since the specific amount of CBD in each topical can vary dramatically, it is very hard to determine how quickly topical CBD starts working and how long it will continue to work..

Vaporized CBD

Vaping CBD allows for fast-acting results, with most feeling the effects within five or so minutes. However, of all consumption methods, vaping tends to last the shortest amount of time. For most, the effects of vaporized CBD last only around 3 hours.

Can You Use CBD Products While Breastfeeding?

As CBD has gained popularity in recent years, many new mothers wonder if it is safe to use during breastfeeding. When it comes to using CBD products while breastfeeding, there is limited research available to provide conclusive answers.

Because its effects on a developing baby and breast milk remain largely unknown, the FDA currently advises against using CBD products while pregnant or breastfeeding. It’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid CBD products until further research is conducted on the subject.

Can You Use CBD Products While Breastfeeding?

The bottom line is that everyone is unique, so CBD can stay in some people’s systems longer than others.

Especially when you include the other factors that play a role in digesting CBD. The good news is that hemp-derived CBD is perfectly legal so you should be able to experiment freely without having to worry about failing any drug tests!

While CBD is the primary cannabinoid that people are concerned with in our products, it is important to note that there are many other cannabinoids in our products because we use full-spectrum hemp oil in nearly all of our products. These cannabinoids may stay in your system for shorter or longer periods of time and provide different effects.

The best way to find out how long CBD stays in your body is to try some out for yourself — and we offer a wide variety of products and strengths. To learn more about full spectrum CBD, head over to our How To Take Veritas Farms Products guide.

Sources:

Is CBD Legal? Here’s What You Need To Know, According to Science | PBS NewsHour

What You Should Know About Using Cannabis, Including CBD, When Pregnant or Breastfeeding | FDA

Cannabidiol (CBD) | NCBI Bookshelf

Comparison of Cannabinoids in Hair With Self-Reported Cannabis Consumption in Heavy, Light and Non-Cannabis Users | PMC

High-Fat Foods May Drastically Increase How Much CBD You Absorb | Creaky Joints

Are Adverse Effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) Products Caused by Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Contamination? | PMC

Mechanisms of Action and Pharmacokinetics of Cannabis | PMC