Edibles are food products that contain cannabinoids. These cannabis-infused foods come in all shapes and sizes, from candies and beverages to chocolates and gummies.
But can edibles show up when you go for a drug test? Most edibles contain enough THC to be picked up by different drug tests within a few days or weeks.
However, this can vary depending on how frequently you consume edibles and the type of drug test.
In this article, we take a closer look at when edibles show up in drug tests and how long edibles stay in your body.
Do Edibles Show Up In A Drug Test?
Yes, edibles can show up in a drug test. However, this depends on the type of test and when you last consumed edibles.
All cannabis products contain delta-9 THC and 11-hydroxy THC which are picked up by standard drug tests.
As edibles are digested, they take longer to be processed by your body. This means that they will show up in drug tests much longer after you smoked weed.
This being said, drug detection times for edibles vary a lot. For example, edibles show up for up to 90 days in a hair test.
On the other hand, they only show up in blood tests and saliva tests for up to 4 days (see also “Can You Donate Blood If You Smoke Weed?“). Urine tests only show edibles between 3 days and 30 days.
Can You Get A False Positive For Edibles?
Yes, there are a number of situations where drug tests could be positive, although you didn’t consume any edibles (see also “How To Recover From Edibles“).
All standard drug tests check for THC in your system. This means that whenever you consume any products that contain THC, you will test positive.
One of the most common ways to get a false positive in a drug tests is by using hemp products. This could be any type of hemp foods, from hemp oil to hemp seeds.
While the concentration of hemp is very low in the body and it doesn’t lead to intoxication, the hemp accumulates over time.
Your body can store the THC in hemp for up to 5 weeks. This means that you may test positive for THC even if you didn’t take any edibles.
How Long Can Weed Edibles Stay In Your System?
Edibles can stay in your body for up to 3 months. However, there are many factors that influence how long the active ingredients of marijuana edibles stay in your system (see also “How Long Does Delta-10 Stay In Your System?“).
When you are vaping or smoking weed, then you can feel the effects of the cannabinoid almost instantly. It is immediately absorbed by your blood.
On the other, when eating baked goods or other cannabis edibles, then it can take hours for the effects to show.
This is because the food has to get into your digestive system first, where it is then broken down and slowly released into your bloodstream.
When the 11-hydroxy THC and delta-9 THC reach the liver, they get broken down and distributed throughout the body.
This causes the psychoactive effects that you can feel when eating marijuana edibles.
The slow processing time of edibles often means that most people prefer to smoke, vape or consume weed in different ways to eating.
While some soft edibles are broken down easier by the digestive system, it still takes your body a few hours to digest the weed food.
However, this also means that many edibles have a slightly longer lasting effect, especially when taken regularly.
Depending on how frequently you consume THC-containing products, you can expect edibles to stay in your system between 3 and 90 days.
Factors That Affect How Long Edibles Stay In Your Body
There are many factors that can impact how long edibles stay in your body, from the quantity you consumed to your body condition.
Here are some of the most essential factors that influence how long edibles show up in drug tests.
Age
Your age can have a significant effect on how long weed edibles stay in your body. Your metabolism slows down with age which means that the THC stays in your system for longer.
Gender
Women and men have a slight different pace at which their bodies metabolize food. This can have an effect on how quickly you can digest edibles.
Body Mass Index
Your fitness levels and other health conditions impact your metabolism and digestive system which can change the rate at how fast your body metabolizes edibles.
Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Your overall health and specific health conditions dictate how quickly you digest THC from edibles.
If you have any kidney or liver conditions, then this could slow down your metabolism and digestion of edibles.
Quantity Of Edibles
The more edibles you consume, the more THC your body needs to digest and process (see also “What Is THCA VS THC?“). Larger amounts of THC take longer to reach your bloodstream.
This can impact how quickly you feel the effects of edibles and how long they will last in your system.
Marijuana Strain
The type of marijuana and weed strain can have a big impact on how long it stays in your body.
If you consume a strong strain with powerful psychoactive effects, then your body will take much more time to process it.
Historic Marijuana Use
If you regularly smoke, vape or consume marijuana and other drugs in different forms, then THC stays in your system for much longer (see also “Can You Get Parasites From Vaping?“).
This means that drugs tests can find trace of long term cannabis use even after months of consuming weed.
Other Substances In Your System
Any type of medication, such as depressants, and other drugs can affect the time that edibles stay in your body.
Plus, these substances may also affect the psychoactive effects of edible, either strengthening or weakening them.
Final Thoughts
Edibles can stay in your system between one and 90 days. The amount of time that edibles can last depends on what you consume, how much, and your overall health.
As a rule of thumb, all edibles can be detected in standard drug tests (see also “Does Target Drug Test?“).
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