How Long Does Delta 8 THC Stay In Your System?
If you’re a delta 8 THC user and have an upcoming drug test, you’re probably standing out there wondering how long delta 8 THC stays in your system.
There are two answers two that question: a short one and a long one.
The short answer is: delta 8 THC can last in your system for anywhere between 2 and 30 days.
The long answer is: it depends on your age, metabolism, consumption method, and how often you use delta 8 THC.
Here’s everything you need to know about the time THC stays in your body.
How Long Does It Take to Feel the Effects of Delta 8 THC?
The onset relies on the method of consumption.
Delta 8 THC has a delay in effects compared to regular weed.
For example, cannabis tinctures tend to kick in within 15–20 minutes, while delta 8 THC tinctures need around 45 minutes to take hold. With gummies, the onset is delayed to 2 hours; vape cartridges, on the other hand, usually produce their effects within a few minutes.
The duration time also depends on the product type. For example, vapes and oils will last between 1 and 5 hours, while oral products like capsules and gummies can last up to 10 hours because delta 8 is steadily released from the liver.
But how does your body metabolizes delta 8 THC?
How long does it stay in your system?
Here’s the answer.
How Long Does Delta 8 THC Stay In Your System?
Detectable concentrations of delta 8 THC may stay in your blood or urine for 2 to 30 days. Many factors can lengthen or shorten the period needed for delta 8 to be completely flushed from the body.
Hair follicle tests can detect the cannabinoid for up to 90 days. However, these tests are rarely conducted in workplaces, not to mention that the results from these tests are often inaccurate.
The time delta 8 THC stays in the body depends on 6 factors:
- How often you use delta 8 THC – the more often you use it, the longer it will stay in your system.
- Your metabolic rate – some people metabolize substances faster than others
- Consumption method – inhaled forms of delta 8 THC stay for the longest time in the body.
- Dosage – the more you consume the longer it will take for the body to eliminate it from the body.
- Genetics – one’s genetics controls the production of CYP enzymes tasked with neutralizing and eliminating compounds from the body.
- Interactions with drugs and supplements – any interaction between delta 8 THC and other chemical compounds may change the time the cannabinoid stays in your system.
What’s the Half-Life of Delta 8 THC?
The half-life of THC is measured after half of the compound has been metabolized.
Delta 8 THC has two metabolic phases: the rapid phase and the slow phase.
When you take delta 8 THC, your body needs about 1 minute to get rid of its portion. The metabolic rate gets significantly slowed down once that happens, causing delta 8 THC to enter the slow phase.
After about 30 minutes, exactly half of the compound will be metabolized. Another half is cleared within the next 30 minutes, leaving 25% of delta 8 THC in your system. The process repeats until there’s nothing left.
We’ve just scratched the surface mentioning the factors affecting the time delta 8 THC stays in the body. Now is the time to elaborate on them.
What Factors Affect the Duration of Delta 8 THC?
1. How Often You Use It
There’s a very simple pattern. The more often you use delta 8 THC, the more it will build up in your system; this rule applies to other psychoactive cannabinoids, such as delta 8 THC.
Cannabinoids are fat-soluble, meaning they bind to fat cells. When you regularly take high doses of delta 8 THC, the body will amass its molecules.
Once you stop taking delta 8, these buildups will start to flow back into the bloodstream, which adds even more time for them to be completely flushed from the body.
Occasional users who take delta 8 up to twice per week will usually need 7 days to become free of the compound.
On the other hand, heavy users taking delta 8 THC every day may need to wait a few weeks before no THC gets detected in their blood or urine sample.
2. Your Metabolic Rate
An individual’s metabolic rate begins to decrease with aging. This is a common phenomenon doctors take into account when prescribing medications.
When you’re in your 20s or 30s, you may need as little as three days to get rid of delta 8 THC from your system.
But when you’re in your 50s or 70s, the time to get rid of the same amounts doubles.
Of course, this rule has some exceptions. Some folks in their 70s or 80s can have the same metabolic rate as a person in their 30s.
3. Consumption Method
The form of delta 8 THC plays an important role in determining how delta 8 THC is metabolized.
Inhaled delta 8 THC — from joints or vape pens — produces its effects faster than sublingual or oral forms, but it also leaves the system faster.
No research has yet been conducted on the metabolism of delta 8 THC including different ingestion methods, but there’s a lot of information from users who have been using different delta 8 THC products and other cannabinoids for a while.
According to one study, inhaled CBD gets flushed from the body nearly twice as fast as other consumption methods, with injection demonstrating the fastest elimination of all formats.
4. Dosage
This may sound like a dead giveaway, but the larger your dose, the more time it will need to be flushed from your system. Delta 8 THC doesn’t have a long half-life, so the higher dose will affect the levels of delta 8 for a few hours rather than days.
5. Genetics
Whether you need more or less time to get rid of delta 8 THC from your body depends on your individual genetics.
Drug metabolism is influenced by the liver. Depending on the molecular composition of the substance, this organ uses a specific system of enzymes to metabolize the active compounds and remove them after use.
These enzymes are like specific tools that are attributed to certain compounds. FOr example, you won’t use a hammer to pull the nail off the wall, just as you wouldn’t use a fork as a screwdriver.
The same pattern applies to liver enzymes.
The specific enzyme responsible for metabolizing delta 8 THC is CYP3A4. Some people have naturally higher levels of this enzyme, meaning their bodies will break down delta 8 slower than others.
6. Supplements and Medications
Everything we consume (including supplements and medications) needs to be broken down by the liver. Sometimes, different substances will ‘fight’ with one another for the same enzyme system; otherwise, they will hinder the effectiveness of these enzymes, compromising the metabolism of other drugs.
Coming back to our tool example, let’s say you only have one saw. As long as you don’t need to perform numerous cutting jobs at a time, you’ll be able to withstand the pace. But the moment a couple of jobs start coming through, one saw may be insufficient to complete them.
The CYP3A4 enzyme is the tool required for metabolizing delta 8 THC, so when your body absorbs other substances that use this enzyme, their metabolism will slow down.
Unfortunately, the majority of drugs and supplements are metabolized by the CYP3A4 system, so if you’re taking delta 8 THC gummies or tinctures at the same time as other supplements and medications, your body may need more time to flush it from the system.
Does Delta 8 THC Show Up On A Drug Test?
That’s probably what you’ve come here for.
Is it possible to receive a positive result for THC when you take delta 8?
Unfortunately, this is possible. As long as delta 8 THC remains in detectable amounts in the body, a drug test may spit out a false-positive result for THC. That’s because drug tests don’t distinguish between different versions of THC; they’re interested in its metabolites, which are the same regardless of the analog.
If you know of an upcoming drug test, it’s a good idea to take a tolerance break for that time.
Final Verdict: How Long Does Delta 8 THC Stay In Your System?
To sum it up, delta 8 THC can remain in your system for about two days if used one time. If you’re an occasional consumer, the cannabinoid may stay with you for an additional few days. Heavy users must deal with the fact that it may take 30 days until their body gets rid of delta 8 THC.
The highest chances of testing positive for THC are through a hair follicle test. These tests can detect THC metabolites up to 90 days later. The more frequently you use delta 8, the longer it’s going to take to be excreted from your system.
Other factors influencing the time delta 8 THC stays in the body include your metabolism, age, genetics, weight, tolerance to delta 8 THC, and other supplements and medications.
Again, the best way to avoid testing positive for THC is to avoid taking delta 8 products until you pass the test.
