Delta 8 THC: Will it Make Me Test Positive on a Drug Test?

As more individuals in legal states begin to see the benefits of cannabis products like Delta 9 and Delta 8 THC, more consumers have wondered if legal and non-legal THC can show up in a drug test. The answer is yes! Most urine analysis drug tests can possibly detect metabolites created by the human body when exposed to Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC. With the legalization of hemp, consumers can enjoy the medicinal and recreational benefits of legal Delta 8 THC in Texas and all across the country. For consumers who don’t have to worry about a urine analysis test, Delta 8 THC could possibly help relieve pain, anxiety and much more.

What is the Difference Between Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC?

Although both cannabinoids can be found in both hemp and marijuana plants, no more than 0.3% of hemp is made up of Delta 9 THC. The cannabis plant could contain between 5% and 30% Delta 9 THC, which could create a psychoactive “high.” In hemp, however, only about 1% of the plant contains Delta 8 THC, which could also create a possible relaxing “high” compared to Delta 9 THC.

When looking at Delta 9 and Delta 8 THC’s chemical structure, the cannabinoid’s share similar double-bonded carbon atoms that label them as “Delta THC.” The major difference is that the Delta THC cannabinoids have double bonds in different locations within the atoms, for example being in the 9th and 8th position in the sequence.

With these double-ended bonds in Delta 9 and Delta 8 THC, they are able to bring more activity to our body’s endocannabinoid system compared to other cannabinoids with a single carbon bond. Because of these double-bonded atom’s location within the cannabinoid, Delta 9 THC could create a more potent “high” compared to Delta 8 THC’s recreational benefits. In a 2016 Pharmacy and Therapeutics study, researchers determined that Delta 9 THC had 50-70% percent more potent psychoactive effects than Delta 8 THC. For consumers looking for anxiety, sleep and focus relief, Delta 8 THC could be a beneficial option for as needed consumption throughout the day.

The Legality of Delta 9 THC and Delta 8 THC?

In the recent 2020 election, the states of Arizona, New Jersey, South Dakota and Montana legalized marijuana and Delta 9 THC products for medicinal and recreational use. With this ballot decision, marijuana is now legal to consume without a medical card or prescription in 15 states. For other conservative states like Texas, only hemp-based products that contain medicinal cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, etc., are legal to consume.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill Act legalized hemp and its 100-plus cannabinoids, Delta 8 THC is legal to consume throughout Texas and most cannabis-friendly states. Although on a federal level Delta 8 THC is legal to use, there are still state mandates against not only Delta 8 THC but also CBD and other cannabis products. For example, CBD was not permitted to be used unless suffering from a medicinal condition or prescribed by a doctor with 2016’s Leni’s Law in Alabama. Just recently in 2019, Gov. Kay Ivey passed SB225, which legalized the use of CBD for all consumers and cannabis purchases in Alabama pharmacies. Other states like Mississippi, North Carolina, Arkansas, etc., have filed individual state mandates against the sale and consumption of Delta 8 THC even though the cannabinoid is federally legal to consume in all 50 states.

How Long Does Delta 8 THC Stay in Your Body?

As our bodies absorb Delta 8 THC through a vape, oil or edible, the cannabinoid’s molecules break down into THC metabolites. Because these metabolites are stored in our fat cells, a drug test could possibly be able to trace THC chemical marker’s in the body for quite a while. A drug test cannot detect which type of THC cannabinoid is being processed through the body, whether its legal Delta 8 THC or non-legal Delta 9 THC, only that THC is present in someone’s urine analysis test.

For saliva drug tests, they can possibly detect more recent use of Delta 8 THC consumption compared to urine analysis tests, which can detect THC molecules that have passed through the body. Hair testing is also more likely to detect the regular use of drugs like cocaine, opiates and methamphetamines that could become undetectable in urine after three to four days.

Depending on an individual’s absorption or metabolism rate, some consumers might be able to test negative on a drug test if they halted the use of Delta 8 THC for possibly three to four weeks. Although these negative urine analysis tests are not guaranteed, since some individuals might retain THC metabolites in their systems for a month or longer due to their consumption habits or a slow metabolism rate.

What Could I Try Instead of Delta 8 THC?

For consumers who might have to worry about taking a urine analysis test, products with hemp-derived CBD, CBG and CBN are non-detectable in a drug test. Since we carry natural cannabinoid’s in our bodies’ endocannabinoid system, it is very difficult for a urine analysis test to detect the consumption of most non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

Consumers who want to have the benefits of the legal trace limit of 0.3% Delta 9 THC could try Full Spectrum CBD, which is non-psychoactive due to its low percentage of THC. Although the legal trace of Delta 9 THC could result in a false positive drug test and possibly take three days or more to leave your body.

Delta 8 THC’s benefits could provide recreational and medicinal benefits for anxiety, focus, pain and so much more for consumers who don’t have to worry about a possible drug test. Go Green Botanicals recommends discussing with your doctor before trying a Delta 8 THC or other hemp-derived products. For consumers who have to worry about possible drug testing, there are many different cannabis-derived products to try with CBD and more.