It’s estimated that 43% of American adults have tried marijuana and as a result, companies are recognizing the need to relax their testing policies. However, there are still a lot of misconceptions about what you can and cannot get away with if you use CBD products. It’s important to understand how drug tests work for marijuana and what type of THC levels could catch your employer’s attention. I’ll take you step by step through all the types of drug tests you could receive and the different ways CBD can affect it—as well as some quick fixes if you want to keep using it!

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of at least 85 active cannabinoids identified within the Cannabis plant. It is a major phytocannabinoid, accounting for up to 40% of the Cannabis plant’s extract, that binds to a wide variety of physiological targets of the endocannabinoid system within the body. Although the exact medical implications are currently being investigated, CBD has shown promise as a therapeutic and pharmaceutical drug target. In particular, CBD has shown promise as an analgesic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic and has shown neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity, among other currently investigated uses [R].

Why should you care?

CBD stands for cannabidiol (can·na·bid·i·ol). Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid — a naturally occurring chemical compound found in cannabis. There are over 100 types of cannabinoids in cannabis. Of these compounds, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are most well researched and understood. THC is known for its psychoactive properties responsible for feelings of euphoria (or “high”) while CBD has no psychoactive properties and actually helps.

How Does CBD Work in Your Body?

CBD is a compound that interacts with your endocannabinoid system and other important systems in your body to help manage anxiety and other symptoms.

How CBD works in the body depends on its interaction with the receptors of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in your body. The ECS is responsible for regulating a variety of biological functions, such as sleep, appetite, and pain response.

CBD affects other receptor systems in your body as well. For example, one study found that CBD activates 5-HT1A serotonin receptors, which can have an anti-anxiety effect. The authors suggest that CBD could be used to treat patients with social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

The Different Kinds of CBD Products

CBD, or cannabidiol, is quickly becoming a popular health and wellness supplement. If you’ve heard people talking about CBD and want to know more, this guide will give you the basics on CBD products, as well as what they can be used for.

What is CBD?

CBD is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Other popular cannabinoids include THC (which gets you high) and CBG. While CBD can be extracted from the same plants that produce THC, it does not have the same psychoactive effects. Although non-psychoactive, CBD has been shown to have significant therapeutic properties, which has led to its growing popularity as a health and wellness supplement.

CBD Isolate and Full Spectrum Extracts

The two main forms of CBD extract are full spectrum extracts and CBD isolates. Full spectrum extracts contain all the cannabinoids found in marijuana plants in addition to CBD, while isolates are 99% pure and contain only CBD.

For beginners, pure isolates are generally recommended because they are easier to dose and don’t have any psychoactive effects (unlike full spectrum extracts). However, that doesn’t mean that full spectrum extracts don’t have benefits of their own.

Drug Testing and CBD

CBD is legal in 46 states. On the federal level, CBD remains illegal, although the Drug Enforcement Agency has signaled that it does not intend to enforce CBD laws for products that contain less than 0.1 percent THC (the psychoactive compound in marijuana).

The legality of CBD and its status on drug tests are complicated issues, and they’re becoming more common as CBD enters the mainstream market. Here’s what you need to know about drug testing and CBD.

Does CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?

There are many types of drug tests, but most do not screen for CBD. The most common type of drug test is the urine drug test (UDS), which can detect THC, the compound in cannabis that causes a high.

A UDS can sometimes detect CBD, but only if it contains higher amounts of THC. If a product has less than 0.3 percent THC — the federally mandated maximum amount — it will not cause a positive result on a UDS.

However, all Hemplucid products have less than 0.3 percent THC, so you don’t have to worry about failing a drug test by using our products.

Full-Spectrum Products May Cause a Positive Drug Test Result

During the past few years, full-spectrum hemp extract (FSHE) products have been widely and increasingly used by consumers. These products may include sublingual tinctures, vape products, capsules, edibles, topicals and other infused products. FSHE is made from the entire plant — stalks, flowers and leaves.

FSHE is an attractive option for those interested in potential health benefits from CBD (cannabidiol), which has been found to be effective in treating some conditions such as seizures, inflammation and pain. Unlike CBD isolates that are derived solely from hemp plants without the inclusion of THC, FSHE contains a variety of phytochemicals including trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3%). THC is known to produce intoxicating effects when consumed in higher amounts.

Broad-Spectrum Products May Cause a Positive Drug Test Result

Broad-spectrum CBD products contain a variety of cannabinoids, which are naturally occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant. Broad-spectrum CBD products go through an additional processing stage to remove all traces of THC.

While broad-spectrum CBD oil contains most cannabinoids present in cannabis, it is THC-free. Although this means that the user will not experience a high, it can still show up on a drug test and produce a positive result.

The presence of any THC in the sample will cause it to fail a drug test. For this reason, users should avoid broad-spectrum products until they are 100 percent sure that they need to use them.

Whether or not trace amounts of THC in broad-spectrum CBD products would cause someone to fail a workplace drug test is ultimately up to the discretion of their employer’s policies and guidelines. However, because the sample has been altered from its original state, there is always a chance that it will trigger a false positive on the drug test.