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Does Delta-8 THC Show Up on a Drug Test?

VWB Blog 3 years ago 5

Imagine this: you’ve just landed the job of your dreams. You’ve been applying for months, maybe even years, for this type of job. Now, finally, it’s within your grasp.

However, you’ve recently been consuming Delta-8 THC. Even though this is a harmless substance that has helped you get through the time you’ve been applying for jobs, your new place of employment doesn’t seem to think so.

They require drug testing for employees, and you’re worried that your Delta-8 THC consumption will show up.

The last thing you want is to fail your drug test and lose your job offer. So, how do you find out if Delta-8 THC shows up in a drug test? And if it does, what can you do about it?

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to find out about Delta-8 THC drug testing. This way, you continue to enjoy your favorite hemp product and get to keep your job. Read on to learn more.

What Is Delta-8 THC?

Before we go into the details of how to pass a drug test if you’re a Delta-8 THC user, it’s important to understand what Delta-8 THC is. That way, you’ll understand why it is that it sometimes can appear in a drug test.

You’ll also be able to understand why some employers—unfortunately—have the wrong idea about Delta-8 THC use.

Delta-8 THC is a hemp-derived cannabinoid that’s currently getting a lot of attention in the cannabis world. Hemp has many types of cannabinoids, including the well-known Delta-9 THC and CBD (also known as cannabidiol).

The reason Delta-8 THC is so popular is that it’s like a combination of the already-popular Delta-9 THC and CBD.

Delta-9 THC is the chemical in marijuana that produces the high that it’s so renowned for. Delta-8, which is only slightly different on the atomic level, also produces a high. However, this is a more gentle high.

Additionally, Delta-8 attaches a little differently to the receptors in your brain, which makes your body feel balanced in the same way that CBD does.

Many people who want the benefits of CBD and a slight (but not overpowering) high enjoy Delta-8 THC. Also, it’s a legal alternative for people who live in states where Delta-9 is illegal but Delta-8 is not.

This is because Delta-8 is hemp-derived, which means it comes from the cannabis plant but doesn’t contain any Delta-9.

However, considering how similar Delta-8 is in both structure and effects to Delta-9, you might be worried about it showing up on a drug test.

How Drug Tests Work

Drug tests are used by employers to find out whether their employees have been taking illicit drugs. Even though this makes sense in theory, it’s an invasion of privacy. It also seems unnecessary when it comes to harmless substances like marijuana.

However, some employers still insist on doing drug tests. If your potential or current employer requires drug tests, then you need to understand who it works so that you can prepare as needed.

Drugs in Your Body

Whenever you take a drug, whether it’s legal or illegal, the effects of that drug show up in your body. As your body metabolizes the substance, it creates residual metabolites that appear in your saliva, sweat, lungs, blood, hair, and urine.

Even when you aren’t feeling the effects of the drug anymore, these traces are still present in your body. With the right chemicals and equipment, someone can detect those traces. This is what drug tests do.

Usually, drug tests are designed specifically to detect a certain substance.

They might not test for every single drug, but instead, for specific drugs the organization or business is testing for. For example, the Tour de France tests for steroid use.

Something to note is that these drug tests don’t test for the drugs themselves. Instead, they test for the metabolites your body produces when you take the drug.

When it comes to THC tests, the metabolite the tester is looking for is usually THC-COOH. This is stored in your body’s fat cells quite a while after you’ve taken THC.

This is because THC-COOH is lipid-soluble instead of water-soluble, it takes a little longer for your body to flush it out.

What the Test Looks For

Before your body has fully flushed out the THC-COOH and other metabolites that demonstrate the presence of other drugs, it will be present in your urine. This is why so many employers choose to use urine tests when doing trust tests.

When you take a urine test, the drugs the testers are usually looking for include:

  • Amphetamines
  • Alcohol
  • Benzodiazepines
  • Barbituates
  • Marijuana (Delta-9 THC)
  • Cocaine
  • Opioids

There are two types of tests that are the most common. One is the GC-MS, or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, test. This is an analytic test that combines mass-spectrometry and gas-chromatography.

This is test takes longer for results to appear, but it is more accurate than the other test used, the IA, or immunoassay, test. This is a faster test that can find a macromolecule in your urine. However, it’s often not entirely accurate.

In addition to these urine tests, some employers might use hair follicle tests. With this type of test, there can be traces of substances present even 90 days after you’ve taken them.

Does Delta-8 THC Show Up?

Now that you understand how drug tests usually work, you might be wondering, “Okay, Delta-9 THC shows up. But what about Delta-8 THC? That’s not on the list.” Well, unfortunately, it’s pretty likely that Delta-8 would show up.

This is because Delta-8 and Delta-9 are similar when it comes to how the body breaks them down. Even though Delta-8 is slightly different structurally than Delta-9, it’s just a more mild version of the more well-known isomer.

Both of these substances are psychotropic compounds. For this reason, both of them can be detected by a drug test.

This is certainly the case if you haven’t waited long enough for the substance to be flushed out of your body.

Unfortunately, a urine test can’t detect the difference between Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC. Because both are broken down and turned into THC-COOH, the result is the same whether you’re taking the stronger or weaker THC.

So, if you’ve taken Delta-8 pretty recently, chances are it will show up in a drug test. Your employer might think that you’ve recently taken Delta-9, which is illegal in some states and illegal federally.

The Difference With the Tests

Before you decide that you have to throw in the towel when it comes to your drug test, there is something to note. The IA test can be pretty inaccurate, and this can work in your favor. This is because there are many legal substances that show up as Delta-8 THC.

For example, other cannabis-created metabolites appear on the test as Delta-8 THC. These include Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabigerol (CBG), and Cannabichromene (CBC).

Considering this, you might be able to speak with your employer about taking a different type of drug test: the GC-MS test.

If they offer it, or if you want more accurate results, you can speak with them about this. In this case, you’d have to wait longer for your results, but the different types of cannabis-derived metabolites would show up separately.

As a result, if you aren’t a Delta-9 THC user but you use Delta-8 THC, you won’t lose your job for having your legal drugs confused with illegal ones.

However, keep in mind that many employers won’t use this test. So it’s smart to use the right strategies in case your employer only uses IA, refuses your request for the GC-MS test, or if you don’t feel comfortable asking.

How Long Does Your Body Store Delta-8 THC?

To figure out how long you have to wait before taking a drug test, you need to know how long your body stores Delta-8 THC. After all, the metabolites are in your body for quite a while, even after you’ve taken the drug.

The amount of time you want to worry about depends on what type of test you’re taking.

When it comes to saliva or blood tests, the drug is only detectable in your body for 2 or 3 days. However, with a urine test, it’s a little bit more worrying—and complicated.

If you aren’t a regular user of Delta-8 THC, it could show up anywhere between 2 and 7 days since you last took it. But if you are a regular user, it can stay in your body for quite a long time.

A test might be able to pick up on THC you used as far back as 1 or 2 months, or even longer. There are different variables that affect how long it stays in your system, including:

  • Your fluid balance
  • Your hydration levels
  • The half-life of the drug
  • Chronic or acute use
  • Delivery method
  • Drug test itself

Delivery method is especially important to note. When you vape, your body stores THC for far less time than when you ingest it. Additionally, you might be able to flush it out of your body more quickly if you’re often hydrated.

What You Can Do

If you’re worried that Delta-8 THC might show up on a drug test, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of passing the drug test. These include taking the test yourself, using the Whizzinator, and waiting while taking alternative legal drugs.

Take The Test Yourself

If you’re stressed about whether or not you’ll pass the test, then you can take the test yourself. This will give you an idea of what your levels are like currently. If you need (and are able) to reschedule the drug test, you can do this.

If you have high levels but can’t reschedule, at least you know this now. You can use the right strategy, such as…

Use the Whizzinator

Another option is to use the Whizzinator. This is especially useful if you’re unable to reschedule the drug test. When you use the Whizzinator, you’ll receive a fake urine and appendage kit that makes it easy to do the test and get the right results, guaranteed.

Wait While Taking Legal Drugs

If you’re able to wait and take the test later, then this is a great option. Eventually, your body will get rid of all traces of the drugs you’ve taken. However, one of the problems with this plan is that you might be using Delta-8 THC to relax or treat health issues.

If this is the case, then you should speak with your doctor about alternative legal drugs you can take. Explain that, though your Delta-8 THC consumption is actually legal, it won’t look this way on a drug test.

This way, you can get anxiety or insomnia medication, continuing to treat yourself until you’ve taken your drug test, and can return to consuming Delta-8 THC.

Need More Information?

Now that you’ve learned about whether Delta-8 THC shows up on a drug test and what to do about it, you might need more information. Maybe you want to learn about alternative substances you can take in the meantime.

Or maybe you want to find out about delta-8 THC products you can take that are less likely to show up in a drug test.

Whatever information you need, you can find it on our blog. Simply go to the Marijuana section, where you can learn all about using Delta-8 THC and making it part of your daily lifestyle.

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