How long does marijuana stay in the system?
Marijuana can stay in the body for days, weeks, or months. This means a person might test positive for marijuana long after using it.
Marijuana’s mood-altering effects can last for a few hours. The length depends on the form of product consumed (flower vs. edible), the concentration (low THC vs. high THC), and how it was consumed (smoked vs. eaten).
Marijuana can stay in the body for days, weeks, or months. This means a person might test positive for marijuana long after using it. How long it stays depends on several factors, including how often someone uses it, their metabolism, how they consume it, and their body fat percentage.
For people who use marijuana often, more THC builds up in the body because it can only be broken down at a certain rate. Occasional users might have marijuana in their system for 1 to 3 days. Moderate users, who use it about three times a week, can test positive for up to 5 to 7 days. Daily users may show traces for up to 14 days. Heavy users might have it in their system for 14 to 90 days.
Different drug tests can detect marijuana metabolites for different lengths of time. A blood test can detect for up to 12 hours, and a saliva test for up to 34 hours. A urine test can detect for up to 30 days (depending on use and other factors), and a hair test for up to 90 days.
The presence of marijuana in someone’s system doesn’t mean they are high or impaired. Marijuana stays in the body long after its effects fade. This is different from blood alcohol content (BAC), which shows real-time intoxication levels. Current drug tests can only determine if someone has used marijuana at one point in the past, not if someone is currently under the influence. This difference is important because legal measures based on drug tests can unfairly impact people who aren’t impaired. Policies that focus only on these tests, without looking at how often they’re used, how substances are consumed, or the risk of impairment, can lead to unnecessary job loss and legal issues.
