If you’ve just tried medical marijuana one time you don’t have to stress about the drug test that much (unless it’s scheduled tomorrow).
However, if you are a regular user, the time it takes for THC to clear out of your system is usually working against you.
The pace at which cannabis leaves your body is determined by the following factors:
1. Frequency, Time And Quantity Of Use
The math here is simple. The more you smoke or ingest marijuana, the more of THC is currently in your body. It will take way longer to be cleaned out of your system than in the case of a single-time user.
A regular user will usually have high amounts of THC stored in their fat tissue cells. Storage of this molecule is accumulating over time; there is a substantial difference between people who used cannabis on a daily basis for 1 month versus people who used it in 1 year.
As a consequence, the time it takes for THC to leave the body is considerably longer; albeit it’s worth to mention that the detoxification time is non-linear. This means that it won’t take 12 times as long for the system to be clear of THC in the case of 1-year used vs 1-month user (it will be less).
2. Amount Of Total Body Fat
Cannabis is stored in fat tissue; the more fat overall an individual has, the larger amount of THC will be stored, and it will the cannabis detoxification process will take longer.
Every pound of fat represents a distribution area within which THC can be dissolved.
How to calculate total body fat: If an individual weighs 150 lbs and has 20% of body fat, he or she has 30 lbs of fat in which THC can take refuge. You can use a body fat calculator to estimate how much fat you have. It’s worth mentioning that, on average, women have considerably higher body fat percentage than men.
Case B: A female has 140 lbs and 25% of body fat. In this case, the total body fat amount is 35 pounds.
Because Case B has 8 pounds of fat more than Case A, it has the larger capacity to store THC and will, all other things considered equal, need more time to completely detoxify from weed.
Does height affect how long will it take for THC to leave the body?
No. It doesn’t matter if an individual’s height is 6’11” or 5’1′; there is no relationship between height and THC distribution volume. All that matters, in this case, is the total body fat; however, it is true that higher people usually have higher total body fat mass.
3. Metabolism And Exercise
Metabolism is considered to be the sum of chemical processes in a human body, usually thought of in terms of speed and ability to process, store, use and eliminate biochemical substances.
Usually, every individual has a sense if they have a quick or slow metabolism. As far as the rate at which THC is eliminated from the body goes, it is beneficial to have a high-rate metabolism.
The best way to give a kick to your metabolism is exercise. Exercise in itself presents a great natural way to quicker detoxification process due to its ability to lift metabolism levels and burn fat cell. Especially cardio sports like running, swimming and cycling can be applied to reduce the time it takes for THC to leave the body.
4. Health And Nutrition
Every health issue that may affect elimination processes can potentially dilate the THC elimination time. This includes problems with kidneys, liver or cardiovascular diseases.
On the other hand, a high-calorie diet rich in fats and carbs will induce the creation of fat tissue; the very same fat tissue in which THC molecule is readily dissolved. If an individual’s desire is to not prolong the THC detox process, he or she should stay away from high-calorie diets.