The Road to Detox: Strategies for Accelerating the Elimination of Edibles From Your System
Marijuana and THC products have surged in popularity thanks to increased social acceptance and legalization in the US.
Despite this growing acceptance, a failed drug test can have serious legal and professional consequences. So it’s no wonder a regular marijuana user may find themselves asking how to flush edibles from their system.
In this piece, we’ll go through how long does edibles stay in your system, how to clear pot from your body, and some common myths about detoxing.
How Long Edibles Remain Detectable in Your System
When you use an edible such as a gummy, the THC passes into the circulatory system, metabolizes in the liver, and spreads throughout the body. While this process is quick, half an hour to an hour, THC’s metabolites bond to the body’s fat cells and are released back into your system as your body burns fat for energy.
How long these metabolites stick around depends on several different factors:
- How much you use: Higher doses of marijuana passes from your system slower than smaller amounts.
- How regularly you use: Infrequent users take less time to pass THC from their system than regular users.
- Your body fat percentage: Because pot and its metabolites are stored in fat, people with a higher body fat percentage will retain weed for longer.
- Genetics: People with naturally high metabolisms will pass marijuana from their systems faster.
What method of test you’re taking will also have a large impact.
- Blood test: A week after use
- Urine test: A month after use
- Hair test: Three months after use
- Sweat test: Two weeks after consumption
- Saliva test: Three days post use
Four Keys to Flushing Your System
If you need to flush your system, there are a few healthy and natural ways to flush your system.
- Stop using marijuana. This is the most important step in clearing edibles from your system. It’s also the only truly guaranteed way to test negative.
- Stay hydrated. Increasing your water consumption will help flush metabolites. It will also help dilute your urine sample, making it more difficult to detect THC in your system.
- Get active. Doing a combination of cardio and strength exercises will increase your body’s natural metabolism and burn fat. THC stored in fat cells is released and passes from your system.
- Avoid red meat, sweets, and salty junk foot. Fat, sugar, and sodium increase water retention, which is the opposite of what you want when clearing pot from your system. Focus on lean proteins, vegetables and fruits with high fiber content.
Commonly-Believed Detox Myths
When researching how long edibles remain in your system, you will likely come across a lot of folk remedies that people claim will eliminate THC. Unfortunately, these are mostly myths and won’t impact the results of your drug test. Some common myths to avoid include:
- Drinking cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar.
- Overconsuming water won’t speed up detox. In fact, overly diluted urine can cause a failed drug test.
- Taking high doses of niacin can be dangerous and won’t help eliminate edibles from your system.
- Commercial detox kits. These kits are mostly scams and won’t have any impact on the amount of weed in your body.
Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet when it comes to speeding up marijuana detox. There are simply too many factors at play for a one-size-fits-all solution. To truly eliminate THC from your system you need exercise, a healthy diet, sufficient hydration, and, most importantly, time.
