If you purchase a product such as THCA flower, you may be concerned about company drug testing. After all, even in states where recreational marijuana use is legal, employers may terminate the contracts of employees who test positive for THC.
Those who buy THCA may believe they are on safe ground since the substance is non-intoxicating. It only becomes THC when decarboxylated. Yet, it could be a mistake to believe that drug screenings won’t detect evidence of THCA use.
This article outlines what is known about THCA elimination from the body so far, highlights the factors that influence the size of detection windows, and investigates the different forms of drug testing.
THCA & Your Body
It’s difficult to ascertain what will happen in a drug test if you consume THCA via raw cannabis. This means you don’t decarboxylate it, so the THCA doesn’t become THC.
Drug tests test for THC and its metabolites rather than THC. Does this mean that you’ll definitely pass a drug test if you consume raw cannabis? It’s wise not to assume this is the case.
Let’s say you drink raw cannabis juice. The THCA will pass through your stomach and intestines and get broken down by your body’s digestive systems prior to being absorbed into the bloodstream.
There is also the possibility of using THCA oil. This process involves placing the oil beneath your tongue and allowing the sublingual mucosa to absorb the cannabinoid straight into your bloodstream. Sublingual cannabinoid consumption offers a higher absorption rate than orally consumed products since it bypasses the digestive system.
What About THCA and Drug Screenings?
There is a belief that THCA won’t show up in a drug test because such screenings focus on THC-COOH metabolites. Most organizations use urine tests, which theoretically shouldn’t detect any evidence of THCA use if you didn’t decarboxylate it. This, of course, means turning the cannabinoid into detectable THC.
However, it would be irresponsible for us to say you are certain to pass a drug screening if you only use raw cannabis. That’s because there’s a possibility of a false positive result.
The truth is, there simply isn’t enough research into whether drug tests will uncover evidence of THCA. Furthermore, there is little data outlining how long the cannabinoid remains in your system after use.
As such, it’s wise to tread carefully if you plan to consume THCA. Also, one can only guess how long the compound stays in the system based on what we know about THC.
It seems likely that because it isn’t intoxicating, it is processed differently by your body, which possibly means it doesn’t remain in your system as long. Yet, no clearcut timescale exists.
How Long Does THC Stay in the System?
We have a detailed guide on how long marijuana remains in the body on the site, so we’ll keep this short and sweet. It depends on various factors, including:
- How often you use marijuana
- The size of the dosage
- Your metabolism
- The method of consumption
Moreover, the detection window varies according to the type of drug test, which includes:
- Urine
- Blood
- Hair
- Saliva
Factors That Influence Detection Time
Let’s briefly outline the things to consider when trying to calculate how long THC stays in your system.
Frequency of Use
The more often you use THC, the longer it takes for it to leave your system. Here are some ballpark estimates based on frequency of use:
- Single Time: 1-3 days
- 3-4 Times a Week: 5-7 days
- Daily User: Up to 14 days
- Chronic User: Up to 90 days
Dosage
Since the effects of THC are cumulative, smoking several times a day will result in a higher level of consumption, which means a positive test is likely. Also, the strength of the dose also matters. You’re at greater risk of detection if you use 30mg doses rather than 10mg, for example.
Metabolism
The faster your metabolism, the quicker the THC leaves the body. Thus, if you have a slow metabolism, you face a greater risk of detection.
It’s also important to note that people with higher levels of body fat will likely metabolize cannabis more slowly. That’s because fat cells store cannabis.
Consumption Method
It is believed that if you ingest marijuana, the THC will remain in your system longer than if you smoke it.
The Type of Drug Test Matters
The different forms of drug screening have varying sensitivities to THC and THCA. As such, the detection window changes depending on the type of test you submit. Here’s an overview of what to expect.
Urine
Employers prefer to use urine testing because it is fairly accurate, non-invasive, and low-cost. This form of test targets THC-COOH metabolites, and it isn’t known how good it is at detecting THCA.
A urinalysis can generally detect marijuana use from seven days ago, although it can extend to 30+ days if you use the substance several times a day.
Blood
It is rare for organizations to use blood tests. Instead, it is more regularly used in DUI investigations. A blood test is more likely to detect recent THC use than a urinalysis. Once again, this form of screening doesn’t specifically look for THCA.
Overall, a blood test tends to detect THC only for up to two days. Yet, one study found that for chronic users, the detection window can be as long as 25 days!
Hair
Follicle tests are relatively rare, which is just as well because they have a lengthy detection window. They are used to uncover long-term drug use patterns and could theoretically detect the presence of THCA, although more research is needed.
It is believed that a hair follicle test can detect marijuana usage going back 90 days. Moreover, it’s possible to get false positive results if you’ve been in contact with second-hand marijuana smoke.
Saliva
There is a growing trend towards the use of saliva drug tests. They are easy to administer and fairly non-invasive. Such tests are likely to have a similar sensitivity to THCA as blood testing.
Saliva tests primarily uncover recent drug usage, which means the detection window is short. They generally only pick up THC usage between one and three days after your last use of the substance.
THCA Detection Times in Drug Screenings Remain a Mystery
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to provide a definitive answer to any questions relating to how long THCA remains in your system after usage. That’s because there is minimal information on THCA elimination from the body.
Consequently, the best we can do is make assumptions based on what we know about other cannabinoids, primarily THC. Even in this case, there’s a lot of wiggle room since detection times vary according to the type of drug test used. Then you have the small matter of factors like frequency of use and metabolism dictating results.
Ultimately, even a single use of marijuana could remain detectable for days if you undergo a urine test. Blood and saliva testing show recent usage, whereas hair follicle tests can pick up evidence of weed usage for months.
What you shouldn’t do is assume that you’ll sail through a drug screening if you consume THCA. There isn’t enough evidence to say that for certain.