How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System?

by Kat Austin June 07, 2021 7 min read

How Long Does CBD Stay in Your System? - VO Inc

CBD offers relaxing benefits that many find appealing, and it's legal andderived from hemp withminimal side effects. However, some people hesitate to try CBD because they're unsure about how long its effects last and how long it stays in the body.

We've addressed these concerns in this article. Additionally, we cover whether CBD might appear on a drug test and offer tips for removing CBD from your system more quickly. Here's what you need to know:

Table of Contents
How Long Will CBD Effects Last?
How Long Does CBD Oil Last in Your System?
How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Urine?
Will CBD in Your System Cause a Failed Drug Test?
How to Get CBD Out of Your System Faster
Conclusion: How Long Will CBD Stay in the Body?
Where to Buy Legal Delta-8-THC Products

Key Takeaways

  • Research is limited, but small studies suggest that CBD may only be detectable in urine for 24 hours.
  • The actual amount of time CBD stays in the body depends on your unique biological and lifestyle factors, like your metabolism, dosing schedule, tolerance, and more.
  • CBD alone usually won't trigger a positive drug test result, but full-spectrum CBD contains THC and may trigger a drug test at extremely high doses.

How Long Do CBD Effects Last?

CBD’s effects are non-intoxicating and therefore much milder than the effects associated with THC. Still, CBD offers noticeable effects, like a feeling of balance and relation.

A CBD tincture dose, an oral form of CBD with slow-onset, long-lasting effects.

So, how long will the effects from CBD last after each dose?

It depends on a number of different factors, including:

  • Metabolism: Your metabolism affects how long anything stays in your body, like food, water, and yes, CBD.
  • Dosing Method: The type of CBD product you use directly impacts how CBD is metabolized. For instance, edibles metabolize more slowly than inhalation methods, so the effects from edibles may last longer. (Read about different dosing methods to learn more.)
  • Dosing frequency:CBD is stored in the body’s fat stores, which means you build up storage overtime. The more frequently you use CBD, the longer it will stay in your body after each dose.
  • Dose size: CBD is metabolized at a set rate determined by your own metabolism. The more you take, the longer it takes your body to break it down and expel it.

Most of the factors above are unique biological and lifestyle factors that vary greatly from person to person. That means the possibilities for how long CBD effects will last are limitless, but we’ll cover the basics, like how long the effects from different dosing methods last on average.

CBD Dosing Methods and Their Effects 

Inhalation

Inhalation methods, like vaporizers and hemp flower, take effect quickly, usually in only a few minutes. Because of the way CBD is broken down by the lungs, the effects from inhalation methods also wear off quickly, usually in 2-3 hours.

Tinctures

CBD tinctures, or oils meant to be dropped under the tongue, are delivered to the body through a method called “sublingual absorption.” This means that CBD is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the mouth and taken directly into the bloodstream, allowing it to bypass the digestive process. Tinctures usually kick in pretty fast, after about 30 minutes, and the effects can last around 4 hours or more.

Edibles

The edible ingestion method varies greatly because some edibles are swallowed and processed by digestion, which can take between 1-2 hours to take full effect. Alternately, some CBD edibles are meant to be dissolved in the mouth so that CBD can be absorbed sublingually, which means they will kick in as quickly as tinctures.

Because of the variation of dosing methods, the effects from edibles can last anywhere from 3-6 hours or more. You can read “Do Different Types of CBD Edibles Absorb in Different Ways?” to learn more about the different types of edibles available.

Softgels

Softgels are similar to digested edibles because they need to reach the liver before they are metabolized. That means they may take over an hour to take effect, but the effects may also last longer than some other methods, around 4 hours.

How Long Does CBD Oil Last in Your System?

As you can see, the effects you experience from CBD can last anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on the dosing method, tolerance, metabolism, and more. For CBD oil, it is detectable in your system even after the effects wear off.

So, how long does CBD oil stay in your system?

Test tubes used to transport blood for lab testing

 

It varies, and CBD oil may be detectable in your blood, urine, and hair for different lengths of time.


Research is limited in most of these areas, but we have a few studies to help us understand how long CBD is detectable in the blood after dosing.

A 1991 study utilized a high-dose CBD isolate regimen in 14 chronically ill patients and examined how long it stays in the blood after dosing. Patients were given 700 mg of CBD daily for 6 weeks. One week after dosing was stopped, CBD blood levels measured at only 1.5 nanograms per mL, and were recorded as “virtually undetectable” after that.

Take note that 700 mg doses are generally higher than the regular maintenance doses used by consumers. Even after 6 weeks of regular use, CBD oil was virtually eliminated from the blood after a week.

Another study found that the half-life (or the amount of time it takes for half of the CBD oil dose to leave the body) of an oral CBD dose ranged from two to five days.

How Long Does CBD Stay in Your Urine?

Unfortunately, we don’t have nearly as much evidence regarding the amount of time CBD stays in your urine.

One 2016 study investigated the presence of CBD in participant’s urine after taking a variety of different CBD products, including tinctures, flowers, and capsules. The study found that CBD was detectable in the urine two hours after the dose in all participants regardless of what dosing form they used.

The study only followed one participant after the last day of CBD administration, however, and found that CBD levels were undetectable in the urine after 25 hours.

Due to the small trial size and limited duration of this study, it doesn’t give reliable information regarding how long CBD will stay in your urine when using larger doses or when taking CBD for extended periods.

Will CBD in Your System Cause a Failed Drug Test?

Although CBD is detectable in urine after dosing for some duration of time, CBD alone typically will not cause a failed drug test.

That’s because most drug tests test for THC metabolites, a byproduct of THC created by the liver. However, some CBD products do contain THC, albeit in very limited amounts (federally legal products must contain 0.3% Delta-9-THC or less).

This type of CBD, called “full-spectrum CBD,” could potentially cause a failed drug test, especially if used at high doses. Of course, estimates suggest you may need to take between 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD per day for that to happen when trying to detect CBD levels.

How to Get CBD Out of Your System Faster?

CBD doesn’t usually last in the system for very long, but if you find yourself wondering how to get CBD out of your system fast, there may be some things you can do.

There’s no magic trick for removing CBD or any other cannabinoid from the body. Instead, you need to aid your body’s natural process of removing CBD, which means boosting metabolism, increasing hydration, and naturally detoxing.

We don’t necessarily condone detox pills or diuretics unless recommended by your doctor, although those methods are sometimes used to remove THC from the body.

Here are some natural, safe methods to consider:

A man drinking water to help remove CBD from the body faster.

Drink more water

The body excretes CBD through urine, and increasing your water intake can help move more “waste” through your body, including CBD. Drinking 2 to 3 liters of water a day can help move CBD through your body faster.

Break a sweat

Another way the body excretes CBD is through sweat, so sweating more can help remove CBD from the body faster. There are multiple methods to help you break a sweat (like a dry sauna), but increasing cardio exercise is a safe and effective method.

Bulk up on fiber

Again, you can use this method to help “move things along” in a natural way. Increasing fiber helps to pull toxins and leftover cannabinoid metabolites through the body and out the other side and can help you rid your body of CBD even faster.

Conclusion: How Long Will CBD Stay in the Body?

We don’t have much evidence regarding how long CBD stays in the body, but estimates suggest that CBD is only detectable in trace amounts in blood after a week and in urine after 24 hours. A variety of factors can alter how long CBD sticks around in the body, like your unique metabolism, dosing frequency, and dosage amount.

You can take steps to naturally increase your body’s metabolism and excretion frequency. Either way, the chance of failing a drug test after CBD use is slim because drug tests look for THC metabolites and not CBD.

FAQ: How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System

How long does it take to get CBD out of your system?

The time it takes for CBD to be fully eliminated from your system varies depending on several factors, including frequency of use, dosage, metabolism, and the method of consumption. Generally, CBD can take anywhere from 2 to 5 days for occasional users to clear from the system, but for regular users, it could be detectable for weeks.

How long does it take to come down from CBD?

The duration of CBD's effects can vary. Typically, users may start to feel the effects wear off within 2 to 6 hours after consumption, depending on the dosage and method of use (e.g., oil, gummy, vaping).


What is the half-life of CBD?

The half-life of CBD, which is the time it takes for half of the CBD to be eliminated from the body, is estimated to be between 1.4 to 10.9 hours when taken orally. This range can vary widely based on individual factors like metabolism and dosage.

How long does CBD gummy effect last?

The effects of a CBD gummy typically last between 4 to 6 hours. This can vary based on the individual's metabolism, the dosage of CBD in the gummy, and other personal factors.

Resources

  1. “A urinary test procedure for identification of cannabidiol in patients undergoing medical therapy with marijuana” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4758796/
  2. “A Systematic Review on the Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in Humans” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275223/
  3. “Assay of plasma cannabidiol by capillary gas chromatography/ion trap mass spectroscopy following high-dose repeated daily oral administration in humans” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1666917/

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