The fear of failing surprise drug tests that far too many workplaces like to treat you to on a Monday morning is a genuine concern for many people. Even when you know that you have done absolutely nothing wrong, you still fear somehow failing and being faced with the consequences.
The most frustrating thing is that many drug tests do not distinguish between legal drugs and those that are not. This means that while you might be doing nothing wrong in the eyes of the law, you could still fail that all-important test.
This issue is especially worrying for people who take delta-8 THC to manage chronic health conditions. Even though delta-8 THC is legal in many USA states and its health benefits are recognized, there is still a lack of clarity regarding what happens with drug tests.
Do you need to fear failing a drug test after using delta-8, and how long does delta-8 stay in your system?
What Is Delta-8 THC?
Delta-8 THC is found in hemp plants and is often described as a lower potency version of the extremely popular delta-9 THC.
Delta-9 is the main form of THC that people associate cannabis and hemp plants. They associate it with being a recreational cannabinoid that causes an enjoyable and therapeutic high. Many people are often unaware that delta-9 is just one of several different types of THC.
The defining feature of THC, compared to other hemp plant cannabinoids, is its double carbon bond. The double carbon bond causes the intoxicating effects and is why other cannabinoids, like CBD, cannot get you high.
The placement of the double carbon bond differs according to the type of THC. In the case of delta-8 THC, the bond occurs on the 8th atom and is the reason why its effects are milder than delta-9 THC.
Is Delta-8 THC Legal?
Until 2018 and the passing of the Farm Bill, all hemp-derived products were deemed illegal on a federal level. Of course, each state can set its own laws and regulations, which means that hemp products are legal to buy and use in a number of states.
The Farm Bill changed this and removed all hemp-derived products other than delta-9 THC from the list of banned substances. Under the Farm Bill, hemp-derived products are now legal on a federal level as long as they do not contain more than 0.3% THC.
While the Farm Bill made significant changes to the law, it also left a lot of grey areas leaving individuals to interpret the law as they wished. Delta-8 THC is one of these areas of confusion.
For the most part, the Farm Bill has been interpreted to mean that delta-8 THC products are legal and can be sold almost as a substitution for delta-9 as the effects of the two are so similar. This has led to an entire industry emerging in a very short space of time, with people looking to try delta-8 out in place of delta-9.
However, while most of the marketing and media attention focuses on the potential medical benefits of delta-8, it does still have the ability to cause a high in the same way as delta-9. An increasing number of states have started legislating against or limiting the sale of delta-8 products.
The confusion surrounding delta-8 THC and its legality has only increased people’s concern regarding the risk of failing a drug test.
Will Delta-8 THC Show on a Drug Test?
The majority of drug tests are conducted using a urine sample. Unfortunately, these tests are not advanced enough to tell the difference between different types of THC. Tests can only show a positive or negative result if the group of compounds they are looking for is present.
As delta-9 THC is still illegal on a federal level, most tests look for traces of THC in a person’s urine, which means that delta-8 will result in a positive test just like delta-9. Frustratingly, even healthy and completely legal cannabinoids like CBD can sometimes cause a positive test.
How Long Does Delta-8 THC Stay in Your System?
Depending on the amount of delta-8 that has been consumed, it can stay in a person’s body for anywhere from a few days up to several months.
The length of time that cannabinoids stay in the body and can be detected also depends on several personal factors. Things such as weight, metabolic rate, age, and frequency of THC consumption affect how long it will stay in your system.
What to Do When Faced with a Drug Test
Unfortunately, there is very little that you can do to ensure that you pass a drug test if you have taken delta-8 THC in the last few months.
Hundreds of different detox programs and products claim to flush your system out and help you pass a drug test. However, none of these methods can 100% guarantee results.
Ultimately, the only way to ensure that you pass a drug test is to abstain from all cannabinoids.