How Long Does Weed Stay in Your System? [Blood & Urine]

Cannabis use is enjoyable and can be quite beneficial to everyone. But things get tense when you want to detox from it in the quickest way possible. So how long does weed stay in your system? 

Weed or pot produces a high when consumed. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for these psychoactive effects and is the one detected in most drug tests. 

Figuring out how long your body takes to flush out cannabis completely is not an exact science. It is because a number of factors come into play. No need to worry if this bothers you, especially when you have an upcoming drug test. 

This article will delve deeper into everything weed and its duration of stay in your system, including hair and urine. 

How Long Does Weed Stay in your Body? 

There are several factors that influence how long cannabis stays in your system. Some of them include; 

• Product potency





• Form of weed used or method of consumption





• Body chemistry like metabolism, age, weight, and gender





• Experience with the drug or frequency of use 

Due to the above factors, there is no universal answer to how long weed remains in your system. Let us know more. 

Weed is available in many forms and strains. You can come across weed flowers, edibles, wax, oil, or tinctures. Whether you smoke, vape, ingest or use weed sublingually, THC is broken down into various by-products and stored in different body parts, including the brain, body fat, blood, heart, and hair. 

Keep in mind the time marijuana stays in your body starts immediately after its effects have faded off entirely, regardless of consumption method. You can as well call this how long it takes to detox marijuana. 

With time, the weed by-products stored in some parts of the body are released back into bloodstream and then excreted in urine. 

THC detection window largely depends on the type of test you will undertake. In general, weed can stay in your system for a few hours to several days, weeks, or a couple of months.

We will discuss this in detail in the following subtopics. 

How Long Does One Smoke Session Stay in your System? 

After smoking weed, the high will kick in immediately, and peak effects will be felt in about 10 minutes to one hour and can last up to 5 hours. THC enters the bloodstream directly through your lungs within minutes of smoking it. 

For one smoke session, weed can stay in your system for approximately 1-3 days. A saliva test can detect weed after about 24 hours of smoking. Blood testing for detection of marijuana can show positive results in 3-12 hours. 

THC can show up in urine tests for around 3 days after consumption. Hair tests are very sensitive – THC can stay in your hair for up to 90 days after smoking. 

Sometimes, hair tests can show a false positive since they test oil in the skin that transfers to hair. Theoretically, you can test positive on a hair test if you come in contact with a weed smoker. 

How Long Does Weed Stay in Urine? 

Urine test or urinalysis is used to detect drugs as well as manage numerous disorders, like urinary tract infections, diabetes, kidney disease, and more. 

The test involves evaluating urine appearance, concentration, or contents. Your doctor might request you to urinate into a specimen cup, either at home or in their office. 

Because more concentrated urine offers easier-to-read results, be sure to take plenty of water and urinate first thing in the morning. Undoubtedly, every cannabis user definitely wishes to pass this test. 

Most weed urinalysis uses the dipstick test – inserting a dipstick (a thin stick that is plastic with chemical strips on it) in the urine. The chemical strips change the color if weed or other compounds are present and beyond normal levels. 

For a first-timer, urine test can detect weed for about 3 days – as mentioned earlier. If you use marijuana 2-4 times a week, it can remain in your urine for 5-7 days. But if you consume this beneficial herb once every day or more, it will remain in your urine for 30 days or longer. 

As you can see, weed can stay in your urine for approximately 3-30 days, depending on your frequency of use and other factors. People who use weed on a daily basis have high chances of failing a urine test than infrequent users.

How Long Does THC Stay in your Hair? 

Of all the THC tests, hair follicle test is the least unforgiving since it can detect the substance for several months after your last use. On the contrary, it is the least used in most organizations. 

Despite the consumption method or how frequently you use marijuana, it can stay in your hair for up to 90 days. But how does THC enter the hair follicles? 

When you use cannabis, its active ingredients – THC, CBD, terpenes, and others – enter your bloodstream after some time. These compounds then travel to bind with cannabinoid receptors located throughout the body and take effect. 

Along the way, THC metabolites enter blood vessels linked to the scalp and later penetrates into the matrix where hair growth takes place. When the hair grows, it carries THC past the scalp. 

How to Pass a Weed Drug Test? 

Why do you want to take a weed drug test? Because your new boss asked you to undergo a post-employment drug test, or are searching for a new job? Whatever the case, passing the test is paramount. 

A stoner can be anxious due to an upcoming drug test. Even if you only took a few puffs with your buddies, there is a good reason to worry about a soon to have drug test. 

Although, most organizations nowadays consider urine drug test, you should be prepared for any type of test.   

Stop Using Weed 

The first step to prepare for a short-notice weed test is to stop using it, considering the time of the test. If the test is scheduled a few weeks or months later, you can easily pass it by abstaining from the drug for some time – at least 30 days before the test.  

Use THC Detoxes   

There are lots of THC detoxes nowadays that can speed up the process of flushing weed out of your system. You can use detox drinks, pills, hair shampoos, mouthwash, among others. 

These detoxes can come in handy when you only have a few hours or weeks to spare before the test. Remember, timing is the key to passing a weed test. 

Exercise 

Exercising is slow (it can take a few weeks to a month), but sure way to detox from THC. Pumping up your heart rate, burning fat, and sweating can help flush marijuana from your body. So, put on those sneakers and get back on that treadmill or join a new cardio class. 

At Home Remedies 

Detoxifying with home remedies works best when you have enough time to flush weed out of your body. Plus, most are affordable, convenient, and easy-to-perform ways to cleanse your system. 

Some effective home remedies include lemon juice, cranberry juice, coffee, apple cider vinegar, and plenty of water. 

Backup Plan, aka Synthetic Urine 

Do you use weed daily and got an abrupt urine test for several days to come? If you have no other option and the urine drug test is staring at you, consider faking it. Now is the right time to ask your friend to lend their uncontaminated urine to you so you can beat the test.

Does that sound too gross and not feasible? Go for a synthetic urine kit. The truth is, most people can do anything when their career is on the line. 

Final Thoughts 

How long does weed stay in your system? Now you know there is no direct answer to this question. It depends on many factors, mainly the frequency of use and type of drug test to be performed.

Even so, a drug test should not limit you from using cannabis since there are proactive ways to help you pass a drug test, including the ones above. 

Whenever you want top-grade weed and other cannabis products, CBD Genesis is by far the best brand to work with.Our products are third-party lab tested, safe and beneficial for improved cannabis wellness.