Marijuana Drug Test: How to Pass

How long does marijuana stay in your system, particularly your urine? And how do you pass a marijuana drug test? Here’s a look at what the science says.

marijuana drug testWhen conducting a marijuana drug test, companies often use a urine test. There are several factors that determine how long weed stays in the urine.

Here are a few:

  • THC percentage of the cannabis being consumed
  • The BMI of the person consuming the marijuana
  • The rate of consumption (how often they smoke)
  • How fast the consumer’s metabolism works


With this in mind; here’s what the research shows in regards to how long marijuana stays in your urine:

  • If you consume marijuana once, it should be out of your system in 5 to 7 days.
  • Cannabis will stay in the system for 10 – 20 days for those who consume it a couple or a few times a week.
  • For heavy consumers (5 or more times a week) it can stay in the system for 30 to 65 days.



THC-COOH is the main secondary metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is formed in the body after cannabis is consumed. Most drug tests don’t test for THC; they test for THC-COOH.

The reason this is an issue is because THC-COOH can stay in the body for longer than THC.

Click here for more information on THC-COOH.


Saliva and Hair Tests:

Two other popular methods are saliva tests and hair tests. Saliva tests are the least invasive; if you’re a daily smoker, studies have shown that in most instances it should be completely out of the system after 72 hours. If you smoked cannabis only once, it will likely be out of your system in 24-48 hours.

air tests, on the other hand, are far more invasive. Cannabis can be found in the hair up to a year after last consumption. Many companies have stopped using hair drug tests, however. Part of this is due to research released last year which found that hair tests can have false-positives for marijuana “because of transfer through cannabis consumers, via their hands, their sebum/sweat, or cannabis smoke.”


How do I Pass a Marijuana Drug Test?

The safest and most effective way to pass a urine drug test for marijuana is to abstain from consuming it; if you’re a heavy smoker, this may mean abstaining for two months or more.

Another option is to do a Google search for “marijuana detox” or “drug testing detox”. Here you will find a plethora of options for cleaning your system and clearing your urine; we highly recommend reading reviews first, however, as some work much better than others.

Another option is to dilute the marijuana in your urine by drinking massive amounts of liquid. This may work to shorten the amount of time the THC is in your system. However, it’s not magic and won’t allow you to pass a test if you’ve smoked recently.

If taking a marijuana saliva test, abstaining for a few days should be enough for even heavy users. If you can only abstain for a day or two prior to the test; suck on the sourest candy you can find for a couple hours beforehand.

If taking a marijuana hair test, there really isn’t much you can do, unfortunately.


What about CBD Consumption?

Standard drug testing tests for THC metabolites, not CBD. This means that consuming CBD will not make you fail a drug test; that is so long as it has had all of its THC removed; or if it’s hemp derived (meaning it will already have virtually no THC).