Does THCA show on a drug test? If you’ve been enjoying THCA products, you might be wondering if it show up on a drug test. THCA doesn’t make you feel high like THC does when you consume it naturally.
If you’ve been using THCA vapes, pre-rolls, or heated edibles, keep reading because your chances of passing a drug test could be at risk.
But there’s no need to worry. We’ll explain if THCA can be detected in a drug screen and how to get it out of your system. Let’s start at the beginning.
Does THCA Show Up on a Drug Test?
The most important question is: Does THCA show up on a drug screen? Well, it’s not a simple “yes” or “no” answer, and here’s why.
THCA is a bit complex because it has a dual nature. When it’s in its natural form, like in a live cannabis plant, it can’t be detected by drug tests. Drug tests are mainly looking for THC byproducts, not THCA.
However, when THCA is heated, it turns into THC. When THC goes through your liver, it breaks down into two substances: 11-hydroxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC), which later changes into 11-nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH). Drug tests usually pick up on this last one, THC-COOH, in your urine.
So, here’s the tricky part – THCA can also appear on a drug screen. How does this happen? Well, because THCA looks a lot like THC, it might be processed in a similar way in your body, just like THC.
In a nutshell, whether or not THCA shows up on a drug test can be a bit complicated, depending on how your body processes it.
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Does Non-decarboxylated THCA Show Up on a Drug Test?
Let’s begin by talking about non-decarboxylated THCA. This is the pure, unaltered form of THCA, just like it is when you first get it from freshly harvested marijuana.
Now, the big question is, does it appear in a drug test? Well, most drug tests are on the lookout for THC byproducts. Regular drug tests, like the basic five-panel ones, usually check for marijuana.
Whether or not non-carboxylated THCA shows up on a test depends on the type of test being used. It’s more likely to be detected by more sensitive tests, but it’s not always a definite thing.
Does THCA Make You Fail a Drug Test?
You won’t fail a drug screen if you use THCA. It mostly depends on the type of THCA product you use. Your chances of failing a drug test are higher when you consume heated THCA products, like eating or smoking them.
Heat is what changes THCA into THC. You can try consuming raw THCA to potentially avoid failing a drug test. It’s not clear if the liver turns THCA into detectable THC metabolites.
In these cases, it’s best to be cautious. Using THCA can make you fail a drug test. Is it worth the risk when your job or career is on the line? Absolutely not! So, it’s safest to steer clear of hemp products that have “tetrahydrocannabinol” if you want to stay out of trouble.
What Does THCA Mean on a Drug Test?
Screening tests aren’t meant to find THCA. It’s a new cannabinoid that’s just become known. The folks who created these tests likely didn’t know about this substance.
With those sensitive tests, false positives can happen. THCA and THC have similar chemical properties, so a mistake in the test isn’t out of the question.
The more recent screening methods are way more sensitive. That means THCA could possibly appear on a drug screen.
How Long Does THCA Stay in Your System?
Many cannabis users worry about how long cannabis compounds stay in their bodies. You might not have known that THCA could be detected, but you want to understand if it’ll be in your system when you take the test. This depends on several factors, such as:
- Potency: How strong the THCA product is.
- Dosage: How much you’ve taken.
- Frequency of Use: How often you use it.
- Body Fat: How much fat you have in your body.
- Methods of Consumption: How you use it, like smoking or eating.
- Metabolism: How your body processes things.
The duration of THCA in your body isn’t exact. If you use THCA often, it’s more likely to be detectable for a longer time. Products with a lot of THCA, slower metabolism, and more body fat can also make it last longer.
Researchers haven’t figured out exactly how long THCA stays in the body. We can make an educated guess based on studies, as it’s likely to break down into THC and COOH. In a study from 2001, they found THC-COOH in the blood at levels between 14 and 49ng/ml. These levels were highest 1-3 hours after use and could be detected for up to 74.3 hours.
Another study showed that how long THC-COOH stays in your body depends on how you use it and which fluids they test:
- Saliva – THC-COOH can be found for up to 48 hours.
- Blood – it can be detected for about 20 hours.
- Urine – it lingers for 3-4 days.
- Hair follicles – it can be stored for up to 90 days.
These numbers are for first-time use. If you use THCA frequently, the detection period can be as long as 45 days for heavy users.
What Drug Tests Can Detect THCA?
Various drug tests can detect THCA, and as the cannabis landscape changes, drug tests evolve to keep up. It’s important to remember that in many places, marijuana is still illegal, and its use is prohibited. THCA can be spotted using several screening tests:
Urine Tests
These are commonly used because they’re affordable, easy, and provide quick results. There are two types of urine screening tests: immunoassays (IA) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). IA tests are less sensitive and may sometimes give false positives, while GC-MS tests are more reliable but cost more and take longer.
The detection period in urine tests can range from a few days to a month, depending on your usage. A THC concentration of 50 ng/ml or higher usually results in a positive test, while a lower THC level yields a negative test. Confirmation tests are more sensitive and can validate the initial findings.
Saliva Tests
After using cannabis, there are substantial compounds in your mouth, making saliva tests ideal for recent drug use. They have a short detection window, typically 1-3 days. However, they are prone to contamination, which can be countered with a good-quality saliva-neutralizing oral wash.
Blood Tests
THC metabolites are only present in the blood for a short period (3-7 days). Blood tests can detect them during this time, but they are less common because they are invasive. The THC level in blood plasma decreases about 3-4 hours after use.
Hair Follicle Tests
These have the longest detection period, up to ninety days. They are not suitable for detecting recent or infrequent cannabis use.
How to Get THCA From Your System
Here are some ways to get THCA from your system before a drug test.
Avoid THCA-containing products
The best way to steer clear of THCA is to avoid it altogether. Stay away from hemp products that have THC or similar cannabinoids.
Exercise
Cannabinoids stick to fat molecules, where they’re stored in your body. Exercising helps burn fat and release stored cannabinoids.
Drink plenty of water
Drinking lots of water encourages urination. The more you pee, the faster your body eliminates cannabis metabolites.
Balance your diet
A balanced diet might help flush out cannabis through a process called lipolysis, which breaks down fat molecules. It might sound strange, but it makes sense. When you don’t burn fat quickly, cannabinoids are slowly released from fat cells, and their concentration in body fluids decreases over time.
Where to Buy High-Quality THCA
You can legally buy high-quality THCA for its therapeutic benefits. Uplift CBD offers top-notch hemp products, including THCA.
These products have been tested by third parties to make sure they’re effective, safe, and strong. One such product is their THCA Pre Rolls, available in three different flavors. These pre-rolls contain 1.5g of high-quality THCA flower, giving you an authentic cannabis smoking experience.
They also offer THCA Flowers made from top-notch THCA flower, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that can turn into THC when heated through a process called decarboxylation. This happens when you smoke these pre-rolls, giving you a potent and flavorful high.
Final Thoughts – Does THCA Show on a Drug Test?
In conclusion, if you choose to use THCA products, be responsible. THCA doesn’t make you high on its own, but when heated, it changes into THC, which can show up on a drug test. Also, THCA has great therapeutic potential, including anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
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