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THC-O (also written as THC O or THC-0) is a powerful synthetic cannabinoid known for its intense effects. While it’s legal under federal law when derived from hemp, it can still cause problems if you're facing a drug test. That’s because THC-O is metabolized just like regular Delta-9-THC—meaning it will likely show up on a standard drug test.
So how long does THC-O stay in your system? Will THC-O make you fail a drug test? And how can you get it out of your body faster?
The short answer is that it depends on the detection method used and how often you use THC products. Different types of drug tests will be able to detect THC-O for a different period of time, and daily consumers may take a bit longer to clear their system than those who partake occasionally.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about this federally legal cannabinoid.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and the time frames given below may vary. We do not recommend using any type of THC product before a drug test or in any situation where THC-O use is illegal.
Table of Contents
Factors that Affect THC-O Metabolism
What is the Half Life of THC-O?
Can THC-O Cause a Failed Drug Test?
How to Clear THC-O From Your System
Resources
In general, THC-O can be detectable in the body for 48 hours to 6 weeks. That's a pretty large span of time, and the exact amount of time it will take to clear your system depends on a number of biological and lifestyle factors, such as:
Let's break down each of these factors and how they may impact the time it takes to rid your system of THC-O metabolites:
The more frequently you use THC products, the longer they take to leave your system. This is because THC is stored in body fat, and the more you use the more you store.
After you stop using THC products, the THC stored in your fat cells slowly begins to emerge into your bloodstream.
If you have a lot of THC stored, it can take a while for your system to clear. That's why people who use THC-O once may have a clean system after only a couple of days. Meanwhile, people who use THC-O daily or even several times per week may need a few weeks to clear their system entirely.
The more often you use THC-O, the longer it takes to leave your body. Why?
THC is stored in fat cells.
Frequent use = more THC stored.
As your body burns fat, stored THC slowly re-enters your bloodstream.
Occasional users: may clear THC in3–5 days.
Daily users:may take 3–6 weeks or more.
Your metabolism not only affects how quickly you break down food, but how quickly you break down all substances. The slower your metabolism is, the longer it will take for THC-O to leave your body.
A specific liver enzyme called CYP3A4 is required to break down THC-O and other THC products after consumption. Some people naturally have more of this enzyme than others, which means they may break down some substances more quickly.
As a rule of thumb, you metabolize substances much slower as you age. This is a phenomenon that doctors take into account when prescribing medication. That means it may take longer to metabolize the same amount of THC-O when you're in your 40s as it did in your 20s.
Some forms of THC-O, like THC-O Vaporizers, leave the body faster than others. We don't have much data to help us further understand how this works for THC-O specifically, but it's thought to work in the same manner as other cannabinoids.
One study found that CBD was cleared from the body almost twice as fast when smoked versus when it was ingested in the form of an edible. The study also verified that IV injection cleared the body faster than any other dosing method. Of course, THC-O is not designed to be used intravenously and doing so may be dangerous.
Other methods, like edibles, may stick around in the body longer.
It may go without saying, but higher doses of THC-O take longer to leave the body. We aren't quite sure how heavily this impacts the amount of time it takes for your body to clear itself of THC-O, but it probably has only a minimal effect. Evidence suggests that taking a larger dose may only impact the metabolic rate by several hours and not several days.
To reference a previous point, THC-O is metabolized by one specific liver enzyme. This specific liver enzyme is unfortunately in high demand because it's also the specific component needed to break down most common medications. When you take other medications regularly, it reduces the amount of available enzymes, which means THC-O will be metabolized at a slower rate.
The half life of a substance refers to the amount of time it takes for the body to clear half of the original dosage.
For THC products, there are two metabolic phases that need to be completed before the substance has cleared the body. The first phase is nearly instant, and a portion of the dose is cleared from your body in only a few minutes after dosing.
The second phase of metabolism happens more slowly, although the overall half life of THC-O is still pretty short.
In the slow phase, THC-O’s half life is just over 30 minutes, meaning that after half an hour only 50% of the original dose remains in the body. The cycle continues like that, and after thirty more minutes approximately half of the remaining 50 is removed, leaving 25% if the original dose. This continues until all of the THC is gone.
It’s important to note that the half life refers to how long the THC-O is active in the body, and not necessarily how long it is detectable.
Yes. THC-O is metabolized into11-hydroxy-THC, the same compound drug tests detect when testing for cannabis use. This means:
THC-Owill show up on a standard drug test.
You may testpositive for THC even if you only used THC-O.
Employers and test administrators won’t be able to tell the difference between Delta-9-THC and THC-O.
If you're expecting an impending drug test, you may be wondering if THC-O can trigger a positive result.
The answer is yes, THC-O can absolutely cause a failed drug test. In fact, it will trigger the same results as if you had used Delta-9-THC prior to taking the test.
There's a pretty simple explanation for this: THC-O metabolizes into 11-hydroxy-THC in the body, the same THC metabolite that's produced when you use traditional THC or any other THC products. Drug tests do not typically look for THC itself, rather they look for this THC metabolite.
In other words, you are likely to trigger a positive drug test result when using hemp-derived THC products, and it'll be a hard case to argue that you've only been using federally legal, hemp-derived products. If you're expecting an upcoming drug test, it's best to just steer clear of THC products entirely to be safe.
If you're already under pressure from an upcoming drug test, you may be happy to know that all tests have different detection windows. That means that the amount of time that THC-O is detectable in your system varies based on the type of drug test you take. Here's what you need to know:
Here’s how long THC-O may be detected based on the type of drug test:
|
Test Type |
Detection Window |
|
Urine Test |
3 to 30 days |
|
Saliva Test |
Up to 48 hours |
|
Blood Test |
Up to 36 hours |
|
Hair Test |
Up to 90 days |
Urine testing is the most common type of drug testing used, and it also has the most uncertainty in terms of how long it will be able to detect THC-O in your system.
THC metabolites are generally present in the urine in less than 60 minutes after dosing. Depending on many of the factors we listed above, THC metabolites may be present in your urine for as little as 3 days or as long as 30 days after last consumption.
For one time use, you can typically expect your urine to be clear after 3 to 5 days, but daily consumers may need to wait a full month before their urine will be clear.
Saliva testing has one of the shortest detection windows and is the one of the easiest types of tests to pass. THC is typically only present in saliva for about 48 hours after dosing.
Blood testing has the shortest detection window and can generally only detect THC for up to 36 hours.
Hair testing has the longest detection window and is the most difficult type of drug test to pass. THC may be present in a hair sample for up to 90 days.
Fortunately, hair testing is the least common type of drug test used by employers, although it may be more likely that you will encounter a hair test if you're having a drug test for legal purposes.
There’s no guaranteed way to detox THC-O quickly, and most “miracle” detox kits or harsh fad diets don’t live up to their claims. The only proven method is time—abstaining from THC-O use for as long as needed based on your test type.
That said, certain healthy habits may support your body’s natural detox process:
Hydrate well: Drinking plenty of water helps your body flush out toxins.
Exercise regularly: Cardio and high-intensity workouts burn fat, where THC is stored, and boost your metabolism for hours afterward.
Eat a high-protein diet: Proteins take more energy to digest, helping to increase metabolism.
Add metabolism boosters: Caffeinated drinks like coffee or green tea and spicy foods can give your metabolism a temporary lift.
Avoid new THC-O use: Stop immediately if you know a drug test is coming.
Skip the gimmicks: Most over-the-counter detox drinks and crash diets are untested and unreliable.
These steps may help your body work more efficiently, but don’t count on them to guarantee a clean test.
To put it briefly, those who used THC-O one time may have a clear system after only a few days, while regular consumers may need to steer clear of THC products for 30-90 days depending on the detection method used to look for THC metabolites in the body. The true amount of time it will take to rid your system of THC-O depends on various lifestyle and wellness factors, but mostly on the detection window for certain drug tests.
Although THC-O is currently legal by federal standards, the failed test results will appear the same way as if you had failed for Delta-9, and it can be hard to prove what type of THC product you used.. For this reason, you should avoid all forms of THC use if you're expecting a drug test.
Yes. THC-O will likely trigger a positive result for THC.
No. THC-O is a synthetic cannabinoid derived from THC, but they are metabolized similarly.
THC-O is more potent than both Delta-8 and Delta-9, and it’s processed slightly differently by the body.
Yes, if derived from hemp and containing <0.3% Delta-9-THC, but legality may vary by state.
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