CBD is one of the most popular buzzwords going right now, but what is CBD? What can it do? Is it a drug or good for your health? Seems like everyone and their brother has an opinion. Some people say CBD is a miracle cure while others think it’s a snake oil scam! Whose side are you on? I’m on the side of science so let’s take a closer look at what CBD is and see if it fails any drug tests.

What The Heck Is CBD?

Despite what you may have heard, CBD and marijuana are not the same thing. Here’s a quick refresher: Marijuana contains both CBD and THC, but these compounds have different effects when isolated. THC creates the “high” when people smoke it or use it in cooking. CBD does not get people high, and is found in smaller amounts in the hemp plant. Hemp plants are a form of cannabis sativa that people have used for thousands of years for fiber (for clothing) and protein (for food).

However, cannabis plants contain more than 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. Some cannabinoids are psychoactive (acting on the brain and changing mood or consciousness). The two most well-known are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis, which means it’s what gets you “high.” However, unlike THC, CBD doesn’t make you high. That’s why it’s gaining popularity as a medical supplement.

Do Drug Tests Check For CBD?

The short answer is, no.

For starters, it’s important to know that drug tests don’t look for CBD. Instead, they detect the presence of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis that gets you high. 0 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), THC levels in industrial hemp range from non-detectable to 0.3%. 1

Even with a high percentage of THC, though, there’s no guarantee that a drug test will be positive. This is because THC doesn’t actually make its way into your system until it’s metabolized by your body. That means you can consume a large amount of CBD oil without having any detectable levels of THC in your system.

There are a few instances where CBD may trigger a false positive on a drug test:

You take a super high dose of CBD oil and the product you use contains trace amounts (0.3%) of THC. If you take enough CBD oil and it has even a small amount of THC in it, it may show up on a drug screen as a positive result for marijuana. 2

You work for an employer or play for an athletic organization that strictly prohibits all cannabis products, including hemp-derived CBD oil.

Can CBD Fail A Drug Test?

Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound found in the cannabis plant. It is gaining popularity as a natural treatment for many mental and physical ailments. And now that restrictions on its use are lifting, welfare is increasing.

But there is one major problem with CBD and that is drug testing at work. Can CBD fail a drug test? Will it show up on the drug test? There are some important things you should know before using this supplement if you are subject to regular drug screenings.

CBD And Drug Tests

There isn’t much research on whether CBD can show up on a drug test. But based on available evidence, consuming CBD products should not lead to a positive drug test for THC. However, consuming extremely high doses of CBD products may trigger a positive result because many contain trace amounts of THC.

The chances of failing a drug test from the use of hemp-derived CBD oil are slim to none. Even though it’s derived from cannabis (hemp), it contains only trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3 percent) and will not get you high at all. It is legal in all 50 states, so there’s no need to worry about failing any drug tests due to CBD use.

How Long Does CBD Stay In Your System?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the most promising supplements to be discovered in recent years. While it’s non-psychoactive and available in all 50 states, it’s still an active ingredient in a marijuana plant — which means it can show up on a drug test.

Here’s everything you need to know about how long CBD stays in your system.

How Long Does CBD Last?

There’s still a lot of mystery around how long CBD stays in the system, and there aren’t many studies on the subject yet. The available studies focus primarily on THC, CBD’s psychoactive cousin — which has its own half-life and metabolism.

One study from 1981 looked at nine volunteers who took high doses of THC (2 mg/kg) for six days. On average, it took 7.5 days for their THC levels to drop below 50 ng/mL — the cutoff for a positive result on most drug tests. However, some people took as long as 11 or 13 days for their levels to drop below this threshold.

Another study from 1991 looked at six volunteers who took high doses of THC daily for 21 days. Once they stopped taking THC, it took five to 13 days for them to test negative for THC in their urine.

How Do I Pass A Drug Test After Using CBD?

Even though CBD is not psychoactive, it can still be detected on a drug test.

The reason that CBD cannot get you high and can pass a drug test is because it contains less than 0.3% THC, as required by law. The trace amounts of THC found in CBD products are not enough to show up on a drug test, but there’s still a slight chance that it could trigger a false positive, depending on the test.

If you use CBD products with higher levels of THC (greater than 0.3 percent), then there’s a better chance that you’ll fail the drug test.