One of the most frequent (and understandable) questions we are asked is “Will CBD make me fail a drug test?”.
Those who are tested regularly, for work or any other reason, may be concerned that this entirely product may be flagged in a test, and create some issues, to say the least.
So let’s get into the ins and outs, and answer the question of whether CBD will show up on a drug test once and for all.
Cannabis and Testing
Let’s start by looking into what a drugs test is likely to be looking for.
The majority of drugs tests will likely be looking for cannabis (amongst other things, in some cases) which leads many to assume that CBD products will show up.
However, it isn’t that simple, because it is THC that drugs tests are looking for.
THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive molecule found primarily in marijuana plants. CBD, on the other hand, is not psychoactive (meaning it does not create a ‘high’) and is found in higher quantities in industrial hemp plants.
In fact, any CBD products that are sold in the UK are legally required, under EU law, to have a THC content of no higher than 0.2%.
In most cases, THC is entirely undetectable in CBD products bought from reliable and trusted sources.
It is, however, worth keeping in mind that the CBD industry is not very well regulated at this stage, which means that there is no guarantee that what you are buying is what you are told it is.
That’s why it is important to only use trusted, regulated suppliers who will provide high-quality CBD products with very little (if any) THC content, not only to comply with EU law, but also to ensure you shouldn’t fail any drug tests any time soon.
Narcotics tests…
However, the truth is we can’t guarantee that CBD will not show up on a drug test. CBD is a chemical, it’s a naturally occurring chemical (a phytocannabinoid if you want to be specific) but a chemical all the same.
As a result, it can be detected in your system, but most drug tests are simply not looking for it, due to it not being a controlled or banned substance.
Interviews with toxicologists have shown that CBD is not expected, even by lab directors, to show up on normal drug tests.
If course, it depends on the test, and whether it is looking for CBD, but for the most part, you should be okay.
Will the THC in CBD Show Up on a Narcotics Check?
As stated above, the THC content in CBD cannot legally be above 0.2%, and it is highly unlikely, bordering on impossible, that such a minuscule amount of THC would show up on a drug test.
That isn’t to say that if you consume enough CBD with such a tiny THC content, it wouldn’t show up, but we’d like to state for the record that there are many reasons why we would recommend not carrying out an experiment that involves you consuming as much CBD as humanly possible! (Like seriously, don’t do that).
Types of Drug Testing
There are a few different types of drug tests that are regularly carried out in different circumstances.
Let’s start with the hair test, which does very much what is says on the tin. This is the one that is least likely to show up trace amounts of THC.
Then there are urine and oral fluid tests, which are pretty self-explanatory too. These have lower thresholds for detection, so it is slightly more likely that trace THC content will show up, but, as mentioned above, is very unlikely to do so if you’re working with numbers between 0% and 0.2%.
Can you check for Cannabidiol?
Any chemical can be tested for, but if somebody wanted to test for CBD specifically, they would have to commission that test, which would involve paying for it.
This could get quite expensive, and seems fairly unnecessary, so, again, it is very unlikely that anybody is going to be doing this any time soon.
So, will CBD show up on a drug test? The answer is that the CBD itself won’t unless it’s being tested for specifically, and THC shouldn’t, as long as you are using a trustworthy supplier.
However, it’s worth not taking the risk. If you’re comfortable to, ask the person carrying out the test if you can consume CBD If you’re not comfortable to do so, it’s probably worth avoiding CBD products, some risks, however small, are just not worth taking.
Do you have experience with using CBD products and taking drug tests? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.