Edibles, also known as cannabis-infused foods, have become increasingly popular in recent years as more states legalize recreational and medical marijuana. Unlike smoking cannabis, ingesting edibles offers a subtler and longer-lasting high as the cannabinoids are processed through the digestive system rather than the lungs.
However, some people may be concerned about how long cannabis can be detected in the body after eating edibles, especially in terms of drug tests for employment, sports, legal cases, and more. Specifically, some wonder “How long do edibles stay in your hair” as hair testing can detect drug use for months after last use.
Understanding how long cannabis lingers in the system based on factors like dosage, frequency of use, and individual metabolism can inform decisions about using edibles recreationally or medically.
Research shows tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) metabolites can be detected in hair for up to 90 days while remaining in urine and blood for shorter windows. However, detection times vary greatly among individuals and drug testing methods. Knowing this information allows people to make responsible, informed choices about consuming edibles.
How Long Do Edibles Stay in Your System?
When you ingest cannabis edibles, the active compounds THC and CBD are metabolized by the liver and stored in fatty tissues throughout the body. Metabolites from THC and CBD are what drug tests screen for to detect cannabis use. These metabolites can remain in the system and be detected in hair for up to 90 days after the last use of cannabis.
Detection windows for cannabis differ by drug testing method:
- Urine: 1-7 days
- Blood: 1-3 days
- Saliva: 1-3 days
- Hair: up to 90 days
Hair testing provides the longest window of detection as metabolites are stored in the hair follicle. Hair grows about 0.5 inches per month, allowing a 1.5-inch hair sample to provide a 90-day history of drug use. Body hair can store metabolites even longer than head hair. However, hair testing is generally considered less sensitive than other methods.
What is the Duration of Edibles in Hair?
The answer largely depends on these key factors:
- Dosage – Higher THC doses lead to more metabolites stored in hair follicles and longer detection times. Consuming 100+ mg THC can cause positives for over 90 days compared to lower doses.
- Frequency of use – Using daily or almost daily will likely cause the longest detection window.
- THC sensitivity – Individuals with higher cannabinoid sensitivity retain metabolites longer than those with higher tolerance. Sensitive users test positive for shorter periods than frequent users at the same dose.
- Time since last use – Up to 90 days for hair testing, yet heavy users have tested positive after over 100 days since last edible use. The detection window declines gradually after stopping use.
- Hair color – Some research shows darker head hair retains THC longer than lighter shades like blonde or grey hair. However, drug testing technology has become advanced enough to detect euphoric substances regardless of pigmentation.
In what part of the body can edibles be detected?
Cannabinoids from edibles are distributed throughout bodily systems and tissues. Most drug testing methods can detect THC metabolites in:
- Hair – head, facial, body
- Urine
- Oral fluids
- Blood
Less common tests can detect edibles in:
- Sweat
- Fingernails
Edible consumption introduces bioaccumulation over smoking due to metabolite storage in fatty tissues. Exercise and diet may help accelerate metabolite release from fat cells. However, heavy cannabis consumers should expect detection for over 30 days.
Conclusion
In conclusion “how long do edibles stay in your hair” depends greatly on dosage, usage frequency, metabolism plus sensitivity to THC and CBD. Hair follicle tests can detect edibles use for up to 90 days, sometimes longer for repeat users. Meanwhile, urine and blood testing provide shorter 1-7 day detection windows.
Knowing how long cannabis metabolites remain detectable should guide informed choices about recreational, medical, and employment situations requiring drug screening.
While hair tests are relatively insensitive, modern labs can identify THC-COOH metabolites in picogram concentration – leading to potential false positives. Understanding the window of detection can help avoid legal, career, health, or safety hazards.
Those facing drug screening may consider cannabis cleansing shampoos, yet no product guarantees a universal result.
The most effective way to avoid detection is abstaining from any THC or CBD consumption for 60-90+ days. Exercise and hydration support metabolite excretion as well. Still, every individual must weigh the risks and benefits given detection times for ingestible cannabis use can surpass those of smoking or vaping actual cannabis flower.
What has your experience been with edible drug testing? Let us know in the comments.
