How Long Does THCA Stay in Your System
How long does THCA stay in your system? The amount of THCA in your body depends on several things. These include how your body works and how often you use it. Also, if you heat THCA (a process called decarboxylation), it changes into THC.
You might be as excited as we are about the new THCA products in the hemp market. THCA is a special kind of cannabinoid. You can consume it in its original form, and it can stay as THCA.
Utoya Organics will talk about how cannabinoids like THCA work in your body. We’ll discuss how your body absorbs, breaks down, and finds them in drug tests. We’ll also look at the difference between using cannabis for a short time and using it for a long time. This affects how long THCA or other cannabinoids stay in your body’s fat, even after their effects are gone.
Will THCA Show Up on a Drug Test?
Raw cannabis consumption, such as THCA, is not usually tested because it’s neither illegal nor psychoactive.
When you heat your THCA, it turns into THC.
The body will then break down THC into THC metabolites, which will result in a positive THC screen.
Some drug tests can cross-react in rare cases, causing false positive results. Cannabinoid metabolites are often very similar.
Absorption & Metabolism of THCA in the Body
Cannabinoids are absorbed in three main ways:
Oral Ingestion: When THCA, such as THCA gummies or raw cannabis juice is consumed orally. In this method of ingestion, THCA is absorbed through the intestinal wall and stomach, where it is broken down by digestive acids.
Sublingual Absorption: This involves placing THCA tinctures under the tongue, where the sublingual mucosa consists of thin tissues with abundant blood vessels. This allows for direct absorption into the bloodstream. This allows for a quicker onset of effect and a higher concentration compared to orally ingesting THCA.
Inhalation: Inhalation techniques such as smoking THCA flower, or pre-rolls, will transform THCA to THC. The lung tissue has a large number of blood vessels that allow for efficient absorption into the bloodstream of THC.
The endocannabinoid receptor system is how THCA and cannabinoids work in your body. These effects can last from two to eight hours depending on how much you consume and how your body processes it. After the effects wear off, your body starts getting rid of the substance.
Cannabis metabolites are leftovers formed when your body breaks down cannabinoids. Liver enzymes and other tissues help in this process. The active compounds in cannabis, like THC and THCA, go through these changes and form metabolites. These inactive metabolites gather in fatty tissue and are slowly removed through urine.
These metabolites are what drug tests look for to see if you’ve used cannabis.
How Long Does THCA Stay In Your System?
The length of time that THCA or other cannabinoids remain in your body can be affected by several factors.
– Metabolic rate of an individual
– Frequency of Use
– Dosage
– Consumption Method
It’s hard to know exactly how long THCA stays in your body. Why? Because THCA isn’t psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t affect your mind, and it’s not illegal. Plus, scientists haven’t studied it as much as other cannabinoids like THC and CBD.
Most drug tests focus on finding THC and its by-products, not THCA. So, if you’ve only had raw cannabis with lots of THCA, you should be okay.
But if you use concentrated THCA products, like concentrates or vape products, it’s different. Heating THCA turns it into THC, which can show up in blood, urine, or saliva tests.
How Long Is the THC Metabolite Detected For?
Some drug screens can detect THC for up to two weeks. More sensitive tests can identify trace compounds as long as 2 months.
According to a review of clinical cannabis users, the amount of THC in their body is dependent on how often they use itÂ
Once: 3 – 5 days
Moderate User (four to seven days per week): 5-7 days
Chronic Users (daily): 10 – 15 days
Heavy users who use the product daily (multiple times): for more than 30 days
Remember that factors like metabolism, hydration, and the testing method can affect the detection window of THC metabolites.
We urge you to reconsider if you think you can pass a drug screen using smokable THCA products derived from hemp. THCA may not have the same immediate effects as THC but when heated, it becomes THC.
Prioritizing your professional and personal obligations is essential. You should also make informed decisions regarding substance abuse, particularly in situations where you may be tested for drugs at work or by the law.
Different Types of Drug Tests and Their Sensitivity to THCA
Different types of drug tests are sensitive to different substances including THCA.
Here are some common drug testing methods and their general sensitivity for THCA.
1. Urine Test
- The most common drug testing method is urine drug testing. It’s inexpensive, non-invasive, and relatively accurate.
- The standard urine test is designed to detect THC-COOH (the metabolite THC) rather than THCA.
- THCA does not dominate urine drug testing, but it is a good way to detect THC metabolites.
2. Blood Test
- Blood tests may be used for DUI investigations, but are not as common for routine drug testing.
- Blood tests are more likely than urine tests to detect recent cannabis usage.
- Blood tests are similar to urine tests in that they focus primarily on THC and metabolites of THC, rather than THCA.
3. Saliva Test
- Due to their ease of use and non-invasive nature, saliva tests are becoming more popular.
- These tests are used to detect recent drug usage. Their sensitivity to THCA is similar to blood tests.
- The detection window of THC and its metabolic products in saliva is usually short. It can be as little as a day to several days after the use.
4. Hair Testing
- Hair tests may be less common, but they can provide a wider detection window.
- Hair tests can detect THC, its metabolites, and THCA in hair samples.
- Hair tests may be sensitive to THCA, but their accuracy is not known. Further research will need to be done to confirm that they are accurate in detecting THCA usage.
5. Breath Test
- This breath test can find Delta 9 THC, a part of cannabis, after someone has used it recently. However, it doesn’t check for alcohol. This test is really helpful for checking if drivers have used cannabis before getting behind the wheel.
- The device, called an ‘analyzer,’ looks for THC but won’t mistakenly show THC if someone is just using CBD. This is similar to how a breathalyzer works for alcohol.
- The breath test can spot recent THC use within about 3 hours. This is the time when someone might still feel the effects.
- Even though taking blood samples is a common way to check for cannabis use, it’s not great for figuring out if someone used cannabis very recently. Blood tests might not happen until 1.5 to 4 hours after something like a car accident. By that time, the THC might not show up. Also, these tests only look at one blood sample at a time, giving just one snapshot of THC levels. Recent studies show that the amount of THC in the blood doesn’t always match up with how impaired someone is.
- The breath test for THC is a better way to see if someone has used cannabis. It can show if there’s a link between THC levels and how someone acts, giving a clearer picture of their impairment.
- This analyzer can find THC use within an hour after someone has smoked, which is when impairment is highest. Studies say if you smoked cannabis more than 3 hours ago, the test won’t show THC. So, no false positives. A positive result means the person recently inhaled cannabis, like smoking or vaping, and they are within the 3-hour window of impairment.
Can You Quickly Detox THC Metabolites to Pass a Drug Test?
You might have heard about herbal supplements that promise to quickly detox your body from THC and other drugs. But it’s important to be careful with these claims.
The only surefire way to get rid of THC-COOH is to stop using drugs and give it time. Your body can clear THC metabolites in a few days or up to four weeks.
Some tips, like drinking lots of water, exercising, or using detox products, claim to help by diluting urine or burning stored THC in fat cells. But there’s not much scientific proof that they work well for passing drug tests.
While these methods might help some people, they’re not guaranteed to give you a clean drug test. If you’re worried about THC metabolites, it’s best to talk to a doctor or an expert who knows about your situation.
Recap - How Long Does THCA Stay In Your System?
Since there hasn’t been much research on removing THCA from the body, it’s hard to say exactly how long it stays in chronic marijuana users. But we can make some educated guesses based on what we know about other cannabinoids like THC and CBD.
Usually, drug tests don’t check for THCA specifically. They focus more on THC and its by-products. How long THC stays in your body can vary depending on how often you use it, how much you take, how your body processes it, and the type of drug test.
THC and its by-products can show up in your body fluids for several days to a few weeks after using cannabis. If you’re worried about passing a drug test, it’s a good idea to avoid any cannabis products, including ones with THCA, for a while before the test.
For personalized advice, it’s best to talk to experts or healthcare professionals. They can help you figure out the best plan for your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions on THCA Detection Window
How Long Can Thca Be Detected in Urine Drug Tests?
The time THCA can be detected in your body can change based on how much and how often you use it. Usually, THCA can be found in urine for about 1-2 days after you use it. But remember, most urine drug tests look for THC and its by-products, not specifically THCA.
Is There a Difference in Thca Detection Windows Between Occasional and Regular Users?
Regular users might be detectable for longer than occasional users. If you use cannabis products with THCA often, it can build up in your body over time, making it stay detectable longer. But if you only use cannabis occasionally, you might be detectable for a shorter time because you’re exposed to less of it.
Can Factors Affect the Length of Time Thca Remains Detectable in the Body?
THCA can stay detectable in your body for a while, and this depends on different things. It includes how much THCA you had, how strong it was, how you used it (like smoking, vaping, or eating), your metabolism, weight, how hydrated you are, and your overall health. Even the type of drug test used can change how long it’s detectable.
Are There Specific Drug Tests That Screen for THCA, or Do They Primarily Target THC and Its Metabolites?
Standard drug tests don’t typically screen for THCA. They focus primarily on THC and its derivatives, such as THC COOH, to detect cannabis use. Since THCA, a nonpsychoactive precursor of THC is not a main target in most drug tests, it shouldn’t be.
Are There Any Documented Cases of False-Positive Results for THCA on Drug Tests?
False positive drug test results for THCA are rare, but not impossible. False positives are possible for a variety of reasons, such as cross-reactivity or testing errors. If a positive drug test for THCA is found, confirmatory tests are usually conducted to eliminate false positives and guarantee accurate results.
