Have you used delta-9 THC before a drug test and are curious how long it's detectable? Generally, delta-9 can be detected anywhere between one day to a month or longer, depending on the type of test and personal factors like frequency, serving size, and method of use. Here's what to remember if you're worried about whether a drug test will pick up delta 9.
Key takeaways:
- Delta 9 is detectable in your body between 1 and 90 days.
- Various factors influence how long delta 9 stays in your system, including your frequency of use and serving sizes.
- Detection windows vary by type of drug test: urine testing is the most common method and can detect delta 9 for more than 30 days in chronically heavy users.
Nearly every drug test out there screens for delta-9 THC. So, if you've used it recently and face a test, there's a strong chance you'll get a positive result.
But that all depends on a handful of factors. How much delta-9 you used, when you used it, and the type of drug test you face will all influence whether the test will pick up your prior use. Not to mention, personal factors like your tolerance and body type will play a role.
Even though delta-9 is legally available in more states than ever, that doesn't matter if your job or sports body restricts its use. So, if you've used it recently and are expecting drug testing, you will want to know how long delta 9 stays in your system.
You're not the only one curious about delta 9 detection times. Considering how many people ask this question for one reason or another, it was time to shed some light. It will help you enjoy delta 9 more comfortably as you plan for your future. Feel free to jump ahead to the information you're looking for:
- Intro to delta-9
- How long delta-9 stays in the body
- Factors that influence delta-9's half-life
- Can you flush delta-9 from your body faster
What is Delta 9?
Delta 9 is the most popular and sought-after of the more than 100 cannabinoids in the hemp plant. You likely know it as simply THC.
Delta 9 is short for delta 9 THC, an abbreviation for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. It's found in both hemp and marijuana plants but is far more abundant in marijuana.
Delta 9 is best known for its noticeably elevating effects, and it has been used for centuries for relaxation, natural relief, and many other wellness purposes. However, it was only legally available for many years in select states that had passed medical or recreational laws. With the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018, hemp-derived cannabinoids became federally legal in the United States, provided they met specific criteria, including having less than 0.3% delta 9 THC by dry weight.
Despite delta 9 now being legally accessible federally, many sports organizations and businesses have yet to change their policies on its use. That's why drug tests for delta 9 are still very common, especially in jobs related to public service.
How Long Can Delta 9 THC Be Detected in Your System?
Unfortunately, there's no guaranteed limit to how long Delta 9 can be detected in your body. Quite a few things play a role, including how much Delta 9 you consume, how often you use it, and your preferred consumption method.
Body fat percentage and metabolism also play a role, as well as the detection method you’re using.
Depending on all these factors, delta 9 may be detected in your system for as little as one day or as long as 90 days. But, some detection methods are more effective than others.
Keep in mind that this information, and all information in this article, is only based on the information currently available. There is no definitive answer to how long delta 9 can stay in your system, so abstain from using it if you need to take a drug test.
Urine Tests
Urine tests are the most common Delta 9 detection method. Depending on how often you use Delta 9, urine tests can generally detect it in your system for anywhere from one to 30 days.
| Delta 9 Use Frequency | Average Urine Test Detection Window |
| Three times or less per week | Up to three days |
| Four to six times per week | Up to seven days |
| Every day | 15 days or more |
| Multiple times per day | 30 days or more |
Blood Tests
Blood tests are less common than urine tests, partly because they have a shorter detection window. In most cases, blood tests will only detect Delta 9 in your system if you used it in the past 12 hours. But this window can increase if you're a heavy user.
Generally, using Delta 9 on anything less than a daily basis will cause you to test positive on a blood test for one to two days after your last use. If you use it every day or multiple times per day, this could increase to 25 days or longer.
Saliva Tests
Like blood tests, saliva tests have a short detection window for Delta 9. Usually, they’ll only pick up on Delta 9 used over the past three days. But again, this detection window can be longer for heavy users. If you use Delta 9 every day, you could test positive up to 30 days after your last use.
Hair Tests
Hair strand tests are the most effective way to test for Delta 9. It reaches your hair follicles through blood vessels and sweat around the hair shaft.
It doesn't matter if you've used Delta 9 once or used it daily for months. Regardless of your usage frequency, you can test positive for delta 9 on a hair test for up to 90 days after use.
How Long Does Delta 9 Stay in the Body?
Let's get down to why you're here: how long delta 9 stays in your system.
Generally, delta-9 stays in your body between 1 and 90 days. However, most tests will only detect it for up to 30 days.
Yes, this is a wide range of time. Truthfully, there's no exact time delta 9 stays in the body. It varies depending on multiple factors, including the type of sample required for the test you're facing.
But with that caveat, you can still have a rough idea. It starts with understanding delta 9's half-life.
What is Delta 9’s Half-Life?
Half-life is a term that refers to how long it takes for the concentration of delta-9 in your body to reduce to decrease by half. For example, if you take 10 mg delta 9 gummies, the half-life would be the time it takes for the concentration to reduce to 5 mg in your system.
The faster delta-9 breaks down in your body, the quicker it flushes from your system and becomes undetectable. Unfortunately, cannabinoids like delta-9 have a relatively long half-life compared to other compounds because they are highly fat-soluble. As a result, they bind to fat molecules in your body, and it can take some time for them to leave.
Research can give us an idea of delta-9 half-life. For example, one study found the half-life for infrequent delta-9 users to be 1.3 days, while frequent users showed a half-life between 5 and 13 days.
With that said, the half-life of delta 9 will vary significantly depending on various factors like:
How frequently do you consume delta 9?
If you've only consumed delta 9 on time, its half-life will be significantly shorter than if you regularly consume delta 9 products. This is because the THC metabolites stay longer in the body among avid delta 9 fans. In this scenario, it could take days to months before you can pass a urine test.
For moderate delta 9 lovers, who enjoy their cannabinoid products every few days, it could take several weeks before you clear the THC metabolites from your urine. However, if you take delta-9 gummies at least every day, it could take a month or longer to clear the metabolites.
It's important to note that these time frames are estimates, not guaranteed, and depend on many biological factors.
Physiology and age
Your age can also influence how fast you metabolize THC. Your metabolic rate naturally slows as you age, meaning it takes longer for your body to break everything down, including delta-9.
Genetics play a role too. For example, you must have an average or above-average amount of enzymes to process and break down THC and other chemicals efficiently. This can be influenced by genetics. Some people are born with a liver producing more enzymes than others.
Your weight and overall health will also affect your body's efficiency in processing and eliminating metabolites. Generally, people with a high BMI need more time to remove THC because the metabolites get stored in fat tissue.
THC potency
Another factor affecting the half-life of THC is the potency of the delta 9 products you used and the overall amount of delta-9 you consumed. Consuming more highly potent delta-9 products will cause the metabolites to remain in your system longer.
How you take your Delta 9
You have several choices when it comes to enjoying delta 9. Traditionally, people would dry the flowers of the Cannabis Sativa plant and smoke them to get their fill of delta 9. However, today, there are more ways to enjoy delta-9 than ever.
Regarding hemp-derived delta-9, the most common products available are delta 9 edibles. This includes products like gummies or even baked goods. It takes longer for your body to process and metabolite oral ingestion products like these compared to other methods.
Type of sample collected
Another major factor impacting how long delta 9 can be detected in your body is the type of drug test used. This is because some samples used as test specimens contain detectable levels of delta 9 for a few hours, while others have up to 90 days. That's why each of these tests varies in its window of detection.
How Long Does Delta 9 Stay in the Urine?
Urine tests for delta 9 are the most common type of drug test. Urine tests can only detect THC metabolites for a relatively short time, so you'll get a positive test if you've used delta-9 products recently. Generally, urine samples contain detectable amounts of delta-9 within three days after a single use to around 30 days after regular use.
How Long Does Delta 9 Stay in the Blood?
Blood tests are rare for delta 9 testing because the compound's presence in the bloodstream is short-lived. THC metabolites flush quickly from the blood, so it's only effective at detecting prior use between 12 to 24 hours after a single use. However, this method can be used for roadside checkpoints to prove you're driving under the influence.
How Long Does Delta 9 Stay in Saliva?
The presence of delta 9 in the saliva is also short-lived, a few hours. This test is only used to detect the current presence of THC. But like the other tests, it is not used to determine the amount of delta 9 you've consumed.
How Long Does Delta 9 Stay in the Hair?
While rare, hair tests have the most extended detection times for delta 9. If you use it frequently, it could detect the presence of delta 9 for up to three months from when you last took any delta 9. However, hair tests can be unreliable if you only use delta-9 periodically. And it doesn't show the concentration, just the presence of metabolites.
Considering these factors, it's impossible to put an exact timeline on how long delta 9 will stay in your body because there are many variables.
Why Should You Care About How Long Delta 9 Stays in Your Body?
Okay, but why should you care how long delta 9 stays in your body?
The most common reason is an upcoming drug test.
Suppose you're a professional athlete or work in the public sector or even some private companies. In that case, you might be subjected to routine drug tests, and you might be worried that you might trigger a positive result if you recently consumed products containing delta 9.
Despite its federal legal status when derived from hemp, delta-9 can get you into hot water if your place of employment or sports body restricts its use.
Can You Get Delta 9 Out of Your System Faster?
Is there a way to get delta 9 out of your system faster? Online forums are flooded with ways to 'flush' your system to help you pass a drug test.
Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do to flush the delta-9 THC metabolites from your system faster. It does take time for your body to break them down.
There are some tactics you can do to help, but these strategies will only make a small impact on how quickly delta-9 breaks down. So, you should always tread cautiously before trying some of these methods.
Drinking water, exercising, eating high-fiber foods
These are the most commonly suggested techniques to move delta 9 out of your system faster.
The first involves drinking lots of water to help flush substances out of your body more quickly and dilute your urine.
Another tip is to work out more regularly. Cardio and high-intensity exercises can encourage the excrement of metabolites through sweat.
Lastly, high-fiber foods like apples, broccoli, and beans help you excrete waste more regularly. This can help you flush out delta-9 metabolites more quickly.
Even so, these strategies are ineffective at removing all delta-9 from your body. The best way to ensure a drug test doesn't detect delta-9 is to abstain from using it when you have a test planned.
Dangerous tactics to avoid
You'll likely find products promising to help you thwart a positive drug test after taking delta-9 THC. Unfortunately, not only are these ineffective and potentially dangerous, but they can also be illegal.
One is drug screen agents. These readily available products claim to clean THC metabolites in the body. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of these products. Also, these need to be used for an extended period, which the body could have naturally metabolized and eliminated the delta 9 THC anyway.
Some may suggest tampering with the test. This involves masking the sample by adding other substances. Commonly added contaminants include bleach, salt, detergent, or Visine. However, these items are easily detected in a lab and draw even more suspicion to yourself.
Again, there's no foolproof method of eliminating all the traces of THC metabolites from the system. The only sure way is to ensure you don't take delta 9 for a prolonged period before the test.
What are the Potential Benefits of Delta 9?
Most people enjoy delta nine because it has noticeably elevating effects that you can feel. But research and consumer reports suggest delta 9 has additional benefits that explain its appeal.
Delta 9 is associated with multiple wellness and therapeutic benefits. Some of the most reported ones include:
Relaxing
One of the most common reasons people use delta 9 is to relax and unwind at the end of the day or on weekends. When used at a lower serving, delta-9 may help you combat thoughts and feelings of stress so you can quiet busy thoughts.
Sleep support
Some delta 9 fans report sleeping better after consuming delta 9. Its calming and relaxing effects might help you fall asleep more easily.
Mood-boosting
Delta 9 is one of the many cannabinoids shown to have mood-boosting qualities. People often share that it can help clear your head, create a deep sense of calm, and give you a feeling of well-being and an improved outlook.
The Bottom Line
Delta 9 can be a great way to unwind and uplift your mood. Thankfully, most adults in the US have legal access to enjoy its benefits. But you'll want to take precautions if you face drug tests at work or in your sport.
In summary, the question of how long delta 9 THC stays in the body has an ambiguous answer. However, generally expect it to remain detectable for up to 90 days. And the more often you use delta-9, the longer delta-9 THC stays in your body.
A series of factors influence how much time you need to clear delta 9 out of your system before a test. And while there are suggestions on what you can do to fast-track the process, there's no research to back these up, and they could draw even more attention to yourself. So the surest way is taking a break from delta 9 long enough until you take the test.
Visit the Koi blog to learn even more about cannabinoids like delta-9.
FAQs
There are a lot of questions about Delta 9 and how long it stays in your system floating around out there. We’re here to answer some of the most common. Keep reading to learn more about how long those metabolites are hanging out in your body.
Can Drinking Water Help Flush Delta 9 THC Out Faster?
Drinking more water isn't guaranteed to flush Delta 9 out of your system, but it may help speed up the process.
Hydration is a vital part of your body’s natural detox process. It helps your body with something called “cellular flushing,” which expels Delta 9 metabolites from your system. Plus, the more water you drink, the more you urinate and dilute the concentration of Delta 9 in your urine.
Try adding lemon to your water or drinking cranberry juice for a better detox. The Vitamin C found in lemons may stimulate your liver function, and cranberry juice is believed to promote kidney function — both things that aid in the detoxification process.
While staying hydrated can help flush Delta 9 from your system, you shouldn’t rely on it to pass a drug test. The only guaranteed solution is abstaining from Delta 9 before your test.
Can Exercise Help Burn Fat and Potentially Speed Up THC Clearance?
Like staying hydrated, regular exercise could speed up the Delta 9 detoxification process. But it's still not a guaranteed solution.
Delta 9 metabolites are stored in fat cells. As you exercise, these fat cells begin to metabolize and release Delta 9 metabolites. This sends them into your bloodstream, where detoxification can begin.
For maximum effects, focus on moderate to high-intensity, regular aerobic exercises like jogging or cycling. Remember to stay hydrated and leave room for recovery to avoid overexertion.
Keep in mind that this is not guaranteed to flush Delta 9 from your system. The only surefire way to clear Delta 9 from your system is to abstain from use and give your body time to metabolize and eliminate it.
How Long Should I Abstain from Delta 9 THC Before a Drug Test?
Generally, we recommend abstaining from all forms of Delta 9, including flower, edibles, and concentrates, for at least 30 days before you need to take a drug test. But again, this depends heavily on how you use Delta 9, your metabolism, and the type of test you're taking.
Heavy users may want to abstain for as long as three months before their test.
Is It Possible to Test Positive for THC Weeks After Use?
It is possible to test positive for Delta 9 even weeks after your last use. However, this is typically only the case for heavy users taking either a urine or hair test.
To be safe, we recommend abstaining for at least 30 days before taking a urine test or 90 days before taking a hair test.
