Posted by Cloudy Shaman on 6th Jun 2022
ALRIGHT, DELTA 9 CAN MAKE YOU FAIL A DRUG TEST. BUT CAN DELTA 8 DO THE SAME?
You might fail a drug test with delta 8 in your system, even though it's legal through hemp.
You may not realize why it's happening. Aside from these factors, the type of drug test used also matters.
Also affecting it are your metabolism, weight, age, gender, and how often you use delta 8.
When it comes to THC, it's important to understand how drug tests work. Many people believe that the tests look for delta 9 THC metabolites. The majority of drug tests still aren't quite advanced enough. Rather than looking for a specific cannabinoid, drug tests look for THC metabolites.
For example, urine tests detect THC-COOH, delta 9 THC's primary inactive metabolite.
Since they're stored in our fat cells, these metabolites can be detected in the urine after use.
This may be deemed a false positive if you do not actually possess delta 9 THC in your body. You might be able to explain if you are using a pure delta 8 product that contains less than 0.3% delta 9 THC.
While you're likely to test positive on a THC drug test, it may not be enough to disqualify you. Ensure that you tell whoever is requiring a drug test that you are taking it. Get some confirmation or approval that you can use the Delta 8 product you intend to take before taking it.
In many parts of the country, hemp is still fighting an uphill battle, but it makes progress slowly but surely. It is accepted by more and more people every day.
CAN DELTA 8 THC STAY IN YOUR SYSTEM FOR A LONG TIME?
Despite its lower potency, delta 8 is still a THC and lingers in the body just like any other THC. Even for first-time users, THC has the potential to stay in your urine for 4 to 8 days.
Heavy delta 8 users, be prepared for a false positive on a drug test for 30 to 60 days – sometimes even longer. The time varies from person to person, due to the other factors in play for how long THC stays in your system.
Again, though, delta 9 THC is what’s illegal. Delta 8 THC products derived from hemp are legal, just like CBD.
Since THC clings to fat cells, how active you are, and your current weight plays a role in how long it’ll last in your body. Other variables include your cannabis tolerance, length of use, and more.
HOW TO AVOID TESTING POSITIVE ON A DRUG TEST
Ideally, you don’t want to fail a drug test. You might not have legal access to cannabis, so delta 8 is a perfect alternative for you. Either way, if you’re a delta 8 user and have a drug test coming up, it’s not the end of the world. There’s no need to panic!
As we said earlier, delta 8 and delta 9 look almost molecularly identical. That means they’re likely to require about the same amount of time to clear out of your system. Fortunately, you can still pass depending on how much time you have before the test.
For the occasional delta 8 users, you might be able to pass after one to five days of a tolerance break.
If you’re more of a moderate user, the timeline goes up by one to three weeks.
For the everyday, heavy users, it could take you four to six weeks or longer before you come up clean on a test.
Knowing how frequently you use delta 8, plan out when to start your tolerance break.
Other solutions that may help speed up the process include eating healthy and exercising to sweat it out. Kickstarting your metabolism can help burn through the THC metabolites faster in your body!
Maybe the employer wants a saliva test instead of a urinalysis. Delta 8 users can often test clean one to five days after their last consumption.
CAN DELTA 8 MAKE YOU FAIL A DRUG TEST?
So, will you fail a drug test if you take delta 8 THC? Well, yes – but only because it would read as a false positive.
The fact that you have THC in your system doesn’t mean you’ve consumed delta 9 THC, drug tests are not finely tuned, and the room for error is far and wide. The chances of delta 8 THC showing up on any generic drug test is not zero.
In fact, if you’re using an at-home test, the THC will more than likely show up. The least advanced of all drug tests are at-home tests. This type test does not differentiate from cannabinoids, which is why they’ll show positive for CBD as well.
Whether you’re consuming delta 9 THC from marijuana or delta 8 THC from hemp, the cannabinoids metabolize into the same THC metabolites in your body.
That means consuming any amount of any THC can cause you to fail a drug test. However, the legal limit is 0.03% delta 9 THC in a CBD or hemp-derived product. That means delta 8 THC products, which contain 0.3% delta 9 THC or less, are, in fact, legal to consume.
Communicate with whoever wishes to drug screen you and let them know about your delta 8 THC use. Show them that you’re not breaking any laws by using a legal product, and you may be able to avoid any hassle in the long run.