How Long Does THC Stay In Your Hair?

Did you know that over 10 million drug tests for THC are conducted in the US every year? Most of these tests used urine or saliva, but some used hair. And hair happens to be where THC stays for the longest.

Key Takeaways

• THC and its metabolites can be stored in fatty cells, including hair follicles.
• It takes a week or so for THC to become detectable in hair, and it might not be detected at all if you only use THC once or twice.
• THC can be detected by a hair follicle test for three months after you last used it.
• Full-spectrum CBD can contain trace amounts of THC, which can cause a positive test.
• If you're concerned about testing positive, make sure you use broad-spectrum CBD, which has the THC removed.

See Related: How to Use CBD Tinctures

How Your Body Processes THC

To understand how long THC stays in your hair, we need to explain how it gets there in the first place.

No matter how you take THC, it eventually enters your bloodstream. It's then distributed throughout the body. 

THC is mostly metabolized by the liver. Once it has been metabolized, it's expelled from your body in either feces or urine. 

However, THC also has a tendency to be stored in fatty tissues. And THC's metabolites, or the products produced when your body processes it, can also be stored in the body.

When we picture our body's fat cells, we usually think of body fat itself. But body fat includes all kinds of fatty tissues — including hair follicles, which contain various kinds of lipids, or fats.

As such, THC can become stored in your hair follicles.

That being said, the follicle itself is often not included in a hair follicle test. The name is a little misleading, and is usually used interchangeably with "hair test" in general. Usually, your hair is cut close to the scalp, leaving the follicle in place.

However, THC can also bind to oils that are produced by your scalp. The THC and the oils then stick to your hair as it grows. And when that hair is tested... viola!

How Long Does THC Stay in Your System?

Unfortunately, there's no single answer for how long THC stays in your system. That's because a variety of factors can affect the time it takes your body to eliminate THC.

First, you need to consider how much THC you took. That might sound obvious, but it's surprisingly common for people to be unaware of the THC concentrations in the products they're taking.

That's why we specify the THC levels in all of our products. Our Delta-8 THC Gummies, for example, have 10mg of THC per gummy.

As you might expect, taking more THC will mean the THC stays in your system for longer.

Similarly, frequent cannabis use can cause THC to remain in the body for longer. In part, that's because THC continues to accumulate in your body's fatty tissues, as we discussed earlier.

However, frequent cannabis consumption can also cause decreased sensitivity. That might push someone to take more — which, in turn, could cause the THC to hang around in the body longer.

Another thing to consider is your own body composition. If you have a faster metabolism, THC might be eliminated from your body in less time than in someone with a slower metabolism.

Your body composition also can affect how long THC stays in your system. A higher body mass index (BMI), for example, can lead to THC being metabolized less quickly. 

Remember, THC can be stored in fatty tissues. If you have a lot of fatty tissue, that means more THC is potentially being stored.

Finally, there's the THC test itself. Different tests have different sensitivities. Some can only detect THC use within the last few days. Other THC tests can detect marijuana use from the last few months.

Different Tests for Marijuana Use

There are four common tests for THC: blood, saliva, urine, and hair.

We've listed them here in order of how long they can detect THC, not by how common they are. Urine tests are actually the most commonly used.

Blood Tests

Remember, THC is distributed throughout the body through the blood. However, it doesn't hang around there for long. 

In fact, THC is usually only detectable in blood tests up to 12 hours after last use.

For that reason, blood tests aren't a very common drug test, at least for marijuana use.

Saliva Tests

The saliva drug test is only really used to detect marijuana use from the last 24 hours. The process is simple: a swab is used to collect saliva from the mouth. The saliva is then analyzed.

Because of the short detection window, saliva tests are usually used in settings where only recent marijuana use is being considered. For example, a saliva test might be used during a roadside stop to prove cannabis consumption (or disprove it).

Urine Tests

Urine tests are the most commonly used. Rather than detecting THC itself, urine tests look for THC metabolites. These are products generated when your body metabolizes THC.

Urine tests also have some of the largest variety of drug tests. If you only took THC once, it might stay detectable in your urine for just a few days. But heavy use can lead to THC being detectable in urine for 30 days after stopping (or even longer in some cases).

Other factors that can impact how long THC stays in your system include hydration and your individual metabolism.

Hair Follicle Test

In order to conduct a hair test, hair samples are taken from near the scalp. These samples are then tested for the presence of THC and THC metabolites.

Unlike other drug tests, the hair test is mainly used to detect long-term use. Light cannabis consumption might not even show up at all.

That's because it takes time for THC to build up to detectable levels in your hair. In fact, you could take a THC product and not test positive in a hair test for a whole week!

However, once you do take THC, it can be detected in your hair for quite a long time. New hair growth might test positive for THC for up to three months after you last used marijuana.

Bonus: Does CBD Counteract the Effects of THC?

Will CBD Cause a Positive Test Result

Unfortunately, CBD products can sometimes lead to a positive drug test. 

According to federal law, hemp and hemp-derived products (like CBD) can contain no more than 0.3% THC. 

At such low levels, THC has no real effect. However, it can still be detected by some drug tests, especially those that are more sensitive.

Why take the risk? Well, if you aren't worried about testing positive, including a tiny amount of THC in your CBD products can be beneficial.

That's because of something called the entourage effect. Research shows the presence of THC actually boosts the efficacy of CBD. 

CBD that contains the full range of cannabinoids produced in the hemp plant, including THC, is called "full-spectrum CBD." To benefit from the entourage effect, we recommend using full-spectrum CBD products, like our Full-Spectrum CBD Tincture.

What to Take to Avoid a Positive Hair Test

If you want to be extra cautious, you can always take CBD products with absolutely no THC. 

That doesn't mean you have to give up the entourage effect, though. Broad spectrum THC includes all the cannabinoids produced by hemp — except for THC. The THC is removed.

We offer a Broad-Spectrum CBD Oil Tincture for anyone who wants the benefits of CBD without any THC at all.

Conclusion

While THC might not appear in your hair for a week — or at all, if you only use it once or twice — it can stick around for a long while. Hair tests can detect THC for up to three months after you last used it. 

Keep Reading: What Is Delta 8 THC, and Why Is It So Popular?

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