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Will Taking CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?
Will CBD show up in a drug test is a very common question. Unfortunately, the truthful answer is “it depends”. If you are consuming true broad-spectrum or isolate-based CBD products, then NO! It won’t show up on a drug test. However, you should be aware of cases in which you could test positive.
- Accuracy of drug testing equipment (how good is equipment that tests your pee)
- Quality and reliability of 3rd party testing COA (certificate of analysis) of the test lab your CBD company used
- How much Full Spectrum CBD you consume
Accuracy of drug testing equipment
Not all drug testing equipment is created equal and not all drug testing use the same science.
Urine drug screens (UDS) are commonly used due to their low cost, rapidity of results, and simplicity of use. However, UDS does not measure THC levels in the urine, which is an active ingredient in marijuana. UDS actually tests the metabolite concentration and whether it is above a given threshold. UDS tests for the metabolite 11. The bad news is that many types of UDS’s do not distinguish other look-alike metabolites that result in false-positives. More specifically, CBN and Delta 8 THC metabolites may trigger many drug tests looking for Delta 9 THC metabolites (metabolite 11). That’s a lot of geek talk, but essentially there are cannabinoids which are not THC such as CBN, Delta 8, and even too much ibuprofen, which can trigger a false-positive result.
Since it is relatively common to have false-positive drug tests with UDS, if you are adversely affected by a false positive and believe it was in error, you could request a more accurate test such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, these tests are costly and require extra time to perform.
Quality and reliability of 3rd party COA
If you want to be confident you will pass a drug test, knowing how to read a COA will become very important. Not only will you need to make sure that there is no THC, but now you know that you should also avoid other look-alike metabolites such as CBD and Delta 8. In addition (and for many many reasons!) make sure you trust the brand you use because you are also trusting the accuracy of their COA. The COA should always have the name of the lab that conducted the test. Take a look to make sure they are ISO-certified and have experience with this specific type of testing. It pains us to talk about how many terrible labs there are that use dirty, cheap equipment operated by untrained staff.
Consistency of use and strength of full spectrum that you consume?
Since UDS (urine ) tests for levels of metabolites, just because you consume an insignificant amount of CBD (even if it’s full-spectrum and contains some THC) does not mean you will fail. If you consume 40+ MG of full-spectrum CBD daily, you may fail if you don’t take proper precautions. If you are job searching or are concerned about drug tests for any reason, it is safer to temporarily switch to a broad-spectrum product.
OK, I have to pee test and I have THC in my system — now what?!
Do not panic, you are not the first nor the last to have some THC in your system and now need to pee clean. Besides countless flush and clean products on the market, there are some good old fashion home remedies. One we recommend is a high dose of fluid intake. Most importantly, consume as much water as possible starting 2-3 hours prior to the test up until the test. We mean lots of water – shoot for at least a half a gallon. Take a large dose of vitamin B, a multivitamin containing vitamin B, or cranberry juice to color your pee yellow. Along with lots of water, taking a healthy dose of aspirin helps confuse some types of UDS tests.
A more aggressive way to clean and flush out your system is to consume more fluids and keep on flushing out. To promote increased output, or peeing more, you will need help from some diuretics. We recommend non-sugar added coffee, black tea, or green tea if you are a casual consumer of THC. If you really need to flush your system hard, consider using more potent diuretics either over the counter or prescription. Here is a good list: https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/guide/diuretic-treatment-high-blood-pressure#1
Some flush-out products to clean your pee:
- Activated Charcoal: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Activated+charcoal&ref=nb_sb_noss
- Detoxifier: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=detoxifier&ref=nb_sb_noss
Other Sources
https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/resources/diagnostic-tests/false-positive-screen-marijuana