Will CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?

Staff Contributor

Symbio Wellness

There are many advantages to cannabidiol (CBD) due to its significant therapeutic properties and minimal side-effects (such as not causing the person to feel high). It is commonly used to treat conditions like chronic pain and anxiety, which can be relieved with cannabidiol without making the person feel loopy or sleepy. However, even with its many benefits, people naturally have questions before starting a new therapy, especially one that comes from the cannabis plant. This is doubly true for people who have never consumed cannabis in any form before.

It is reasonable for first-time cannabidiol consumers to be worried about trying it for the first time because they are concerned about failing a drug test. There are many reasons a person may have to submit to a drug test. Employers often require employees to submit to drug testing both before and after being hired, whether the person agrees with the principle of workplace drug testing or not. Another example is professional athletes who must submit to drug testing in accordance with the substance abuse policies.

What is a drug test for cannabis?

Employers require drug tests for many reasons—legal protection, safety, improved productivity, federal mandates—but their main goal is to determine the level of an employee’s impairment. A drug test looks for specific chemical compounds in a person’s urine, blood, saliva, hair, or sweat—THC and its primary metabolite are the chemical compounds that employer drug tests are looking for because they are the psychoactive compound in marijuana—the one that gets a person high.

There is currently no drug test available that screens for CBD because it is the non-psychoactive compound in marijuana. This means that no matter how much a person consumes of pure cannabidiol, it will not get them high. And, because the compound is non-psychoactive there is no interest in developing a test to look for it.

The marijuana panel does not indicate cannabidiol levels. Instead, employers only test for the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or primary metabolite of THC, carboxy-THC, in a drug screen for cannabis. Whether a cannabidiol product will result in a positive drug test depends on the presence and amount of THC contained in the product the person used.

Therefore, an individual must have consumed a product containing THC to test positive for marijuana. If a person consumed a cannabidiol product that had all the THC removed, then the person will not test positive for marijuana. Pure cannabidoil would not cause a person to fail a drug test.

How come CBD never shows up on a drug test?

Since it is not standard for employers to test for cannabidoil, it would require the employer to commission (and pay for) a test specifically designed to look for it to show up on an employment drug screen. It is unlikely an employer would spend the money to develop such a test because it does not impact their legal rights. If a cannabidiol product contains a high enough concentration of THC, however, it is possible that using these products could cause a positive urine test. It is important to note that a positive test would be because of small traces of THC in the body, not cannabidiol.

Can CBD products cause a false positive for marijuana?

The short answer is…no, but it is complicated. A product that contains only cannabidiol will not cause a person to test positive for marijuana. Therefore, cannabidiol products containing no THC (0.0%) like Symbio Wellness products are extremely unlikely to cause someone to fail a drug test.

There are negligible amounts of THC in some cannabidiol products, however. When products contain small amounts of THC (0.3% – 0.5%), it may be possible for a person to fail a drug test after consuming large quantities of cannabidiol. People who consume more than 1,000 milligrams per day are more likely to trigger a false positive on a drug test for cannabis than the average user.

The average cannabidiol user only consumes between 120 to 160 milligrams a day. It is unlikely that level of consumption will cause a false positive.

Just remember to look at the concentration of THC contained in the product before buying it.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. CBD products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or ailment. Symbio Wellness LLC assumes no responsibility for the improper use of these products. We recommend consulting with a qualified medical doctor or physician when preparing a treatment plan for any and all diseases or ailments. Symbio Wellness LLC does not make any health claims about our products and recommend consulting with a qualified medical doctor or physician prior to consuming our products or preparing a treatment plan. It is especially important for those who are pregnant, nursing, chronically ill, elderly or under the age of 18 to discuss the use of these products with a physician prior to consuming. You must be 18 years or older to visit this website and/or purchase Symbio Wellness LLC products. The information on our website is intended to provide general information regarding our products and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction.