Does CBD show up on a drug test? It’s a good question and one that many people are asking since the recent rise in the popularity of CBD. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant which is said to have many health and wellness benefits. While CBD is incapable of causing the same psychoactive effects of THC, it’s still worth asking whether or not it will show up on a drug test.
The potential benefits of CBD are innumerable. Just a few of the benefits that have the health and medical fields talking about CBD are its capacity to alleviate nausea and inflammation, to reduce seizures and spasms, and to help manage symptoms of anxiety and depression.
There are several kinds of cannabis-related CBD goods for sale, all of which are made from the same plant that produces THC (aka the cannabinoid that gets you stoned). Moreover, there are also a lot of hemp-based items, which have some THC present, albeit characteristically low levels.
Because of these two pieces of information, people are left questioning whether or not CBD will affect the results of a drug test. This concern is especially relevant to those who work in industries where random drug tests are commonplace. Generally speaking, CBD won’t show up on a drug test. However, it’s wise to understand the intricacies and relationship between CBD and drug testing–just in case.
CBD and Testing Technology: Does CBD show up on a drug test?
It’s been said before and is worth stating again–CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, meaning that it doesn’t hold the capacity to get the user “high.” It should come as no shock, then, that most drug tests don’t even screen for CBD. This means that most modern drug tests aren’t yet equipped to identify traces of CBD, simply because they aren’t looking for them.
Why on earth would a drug test be created with the intention to detect a non-psychoactive cannabinoid? The short answer here is that it is incredibly unlikely that the average drug test will have the capacity to recognize CBD, for the simple fact that it wasn’t designed to. There are plenty of differences among CBD and the typical chemicals that drug screenings test for. Among these differences is that CBD has an exponentially lower potential for abuse than other drugs, including THC.
False-Positives Due to Excessive CBD Use
Although CBD won’t show up on a drug test, it could potentially lead to a false-positive reading for THC. The reason for this result would be due to the shallow level of THC present in any hemp-derived product. The absolute most a product would contain is 0.3%, and it’s still improbable for the false-positive to appear.
The only exception to the rule, where CBD could potentially lead to a false-positive result for THC (
While there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to CBD dosing, it’s safe to say that daily dosages over 1,000mg have a good chance of triggering a THC reading on a drug test. This result is because, although the THC present is very low, there will be at least enough in your system to pop up for marijuana on the test.
It’s a good rule of thumb to begin your CBD dosages at a low level, something along the lines of 5mg-10mg/day and then work your way up. After experimenting with different titrations, you can choose which amount works best for you and for whatever ailments you might be using CBD for.
Although there is no way to “overdose” on CBD, confirming its dissimilarity again with psychoactive drugs, too much too soon can do more harm than good. By starting with a high dose, you run the risk of not receiving the benefits you’re most likely trying to achieve. It’s also not worth taking excessive doses of CBD if you are randomly drug tested and the dreaded false-positive shows up. Granted, while another test or two would most likely show accurate results, it’s a headache most of us would rather avoid.
To Sum Up
CBD is now a widely recommended remedial tool making its way throughout the nation due to its many presumed benefits. Nevertheless, since many associate CBD with marijuana and THC, there is hesitancy about experimenting with CBD, due to fear of how it might affect drug test results.
Finally, CBD (with small quantities of THC), will pass a conventional drug test because it lacks psychoactive properties. However, it’s crucial to remember that when taken in large amounts, CBD does have the potential to trigger a false-positive THC reading on a standard drug test.
