Barsha Bhattacharya is a senior content writing executive. As a…
As more and more countries and states are legalizing marijuana consumption, it has become pretty easy to access marijuana, in general. In the past few years, marijuana usage and consumption have grown as society’s perception of marijuana shifted.
But at the same time, marijuana is still illegal in some states. Drug tests, on the other hand, are common everywhere. Your bloodstream is not the only thing that can get you caught in a drug test – your hair is also a crucial factor.
It is highly possible that you might have consumed edibles on a Sunday without a clue that you would get tested on Monday morning. In that case, it is not just your bloodstream but also your hair.
For everyone who is confused right now, stay tuned as we delve deeper behind one of the most frequently asked questions of all time – how long do edibles stay in your hair?
How Long Do Edibles Stay in Your Hair? All That You Need To Know!
So, how long do edibles stay in your hair?
Before we start talking about edible consumption and its ability to stay in your hair, we need to highly an even more important aspect – how long does weed stay in your bloodstream or, rather, your system?
Keep reading to find out how long do edibles stay in your system and, more specifically, in your hair!
How Long Do Edibles Stay In Your System?
So, how long do edibles stay in your hair and eventually show up on different drug tests? That depends on not one but multiple factors. These factors are as follows,
- Frequency of usage and dosage.
- THC percentage in the edible.
- Mode of consumption.
- Body’s excretion routes and metabolism rate.
- Hydration levels, BMI (body mass index), gender, genetics, lifestyle, and overall health.
Detection times also on the type of drug test used. Specifically, weed stays longer in the hair and can be easily detected for upto three months from the time of use. Drug tests can easily detect marijuana for upto a month in your urine, around for a whole day in your saliva, and for about 12 hours in your bloodstream.
There are several factors that affect how long weed can stay inside your body – the detection time periods for the same vary from individual to individual.
On average, the detection times are as follows,
- Hair: Between 30 – 90 days.
- Saliva: Between 1 – 3 days.
- Blood: Between 3 hours – 2 days.
- Urine: Between 3 – 7 days.
How Long Do Edibles Stay In Your Hair?
So, now that you have a fair idea about how long do edibles last in bloodstream or, in general, your system, let’s talk about edibles in your hair.
Hair tests are only meant for long-term marijuana users. Having a few edibles or consuming marijuana perhaps only once every day might not have any impact on the results of any hair test.
The thing is, it takes some time to store THC inside the hair follicles and subsequently start building up. Simply put, if you consumed marijuana today, all the metabolites can be seen in the results of your hair tests 7 to 10 days later.
Once THC metabolites start getting stored in your hair follicles, they shall continue to stay until your hair is cut. That way, THC can get detected in your new hair for the next 3 months.
Do Edibles Show Up In Drug Tests?
So, do edibles show up in drug tests? THC actually reaches your bloodstream and organs relatively faster when you smoke marijuana instead of consuming edibles. But that does not mean the THC in those edibles won’t show on different drug tests.
Yes, it does take relatively longer for your liver to start breaking down edibles. But eventually, it ends up breaking down the tetrahydrocannabinol into metabolites – the metabolites leave your body in feces and urine. But what about the rest?
The rest gets absorbed easily into your blood, spreading to different tissues within your body. On average, edibles can get detected within the following time periods.
- Hair: Upto 90 days.
- Saliva: 1 – 3 days.
- Blood: 1 – 2 days.
- Urine: 3 – 30 days.
Edibles do not generally last in the system if you are not a frequent user of marijuana. Plus, saliva tests are not that effective when it comes to edibles. But at the same time, it is always safer to stay away from THC edibles for 1 to 3 days before your test.
Are Edibles Illegal?
Whenever there is a discussion regarding cannabis and cannabis products, a question of legality dangles somewhere in the conversation. Technically speaking, edibles are not illegal right off the bat. Depending upon the local jurisdiction and cannabis laws, cannabis as a whole can be illegal. Hence, it will automatically make edibles illegal. But such a state that completely bans cannabis in its all shapes and forms is sparse. Still, this section will discuss the legality of this substance.
THC is the primary component of cannabis, it is the substance that provides psychoactive properties to the plant. Therefore, all the legal issues that the substance faces are due to this psychoactive component that is THC. In fact, some establishments do not allow individuals to consume edibles because of ethical and safety concerns.
The primary line of argument of such establishments is that cannabis edibles look a lot like normal everyday food items. So, it is difficult to identify between food and edibles. This means, anybody can pass on edibles to an unsuspecting individual, which can throw them into a whole fit of panic attack. Also, such products can be easily supplied to children and I hope I do not have to explain why that is a risk. The incognito format along with delayed effects can be trying on people’s minds.
But I believe that this previous line of argument holds up to a certain point. Yes, tripping on edibles unknowingly is certainly not the nicest of experiences. However, even when an individual is going through the worst trips of their life due to edibles, he or she will not be endangered by the substance. The maximum that can happen is that you will have the worst trip of your life, and lose your mind temporarily. But you will not go through a security threat. Still, I will suggest that you check out the local cannabis laws to know if it is legal in your jurisdiction or if you can be persecuted if the tests come positive.
Frequently Asked Questions:
So, how long do edibles stay in your hair? Check out the most frequently asked questions related to similar queries!
It can take anywhere between a basic 30 minutes to even 2 hours for edibles to work. And not just that, it can also take nearly 4 hours to start feeling the complete effects.
In fact, the intoxication can last for even 12 hours, with residual effects staying in your system for a solid 24 hours. So, you can also feel the effects minimally the next day as well.
As per reports and our research, we found out that the half-life of regular Delta-8 THC edibles can be anywhere between 40 minutes to 7 hours. It can last even longer inside your system, so much longer than any other type of metabolite.
In general, it is known that Delta 8 usually stays detectable inside your system for 1 to 3 days post-consumption.
Research says that the impact of edible gummies takes around an hour to start kicking in, but at the same time, it can last for six or more hours. In contrast to this, the impact of vaping or smoking THC usually lasts between 1 to 4 hours.
Also, edibles do not usually carry any of the risks that are otherwise associated with smoking cannabis, like phlegm production and chronic cough.
The effect of edibles generally lasts between six to eight hours. And simply because of this very reason, edibles have grown to become a tool for sleep.
These continue breaking down, entirely getting absorbed in the consumer’s bloodstream throughout the whole night, meanwhile flooding the user with a constant stream of wholesome cannabinoid goodness. Remember, it takes some time for the edibles to kick in.
And It’s A Wrap!
Now that you have a fair idea about how long do edibles stay in your hair, what are your thoughts? Edibles can be fun when consumed recreationally once in a while.
If you have consumed edibles recreationally, what was your experience like? Feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments below.
Additional Reading:
Barsha Bhattacharya is a senior content writing executive. As a marketing enthusiast and professional for the past 4 years, writing is new to Barsha. And she is loving every bit of it. Her niches are marketing, lifestyle, wellness, travel and entertainment. Apart from writing, Barsha loves to travel, binge-watch, research conspiracy theories, Instagram and overthink.