How long does – Weed, Alcohol, Xanax, Meth and Cocaine stay in your system ?
How long does weed stay in your system?
Cannabis known by the street name weed is one of the illegal substances in the world. Surprisingly, it can stay in your system for a long time. If you are a chronic weed user, it can stay in your system or a few weeks. (1)
Image 1: A photo of a fresh cannabis.
Picture Source: i.ytimg.com
Picture 2: Smoking cannabis is one of the commonly used methods in introducing weed to the body.
Photo Source: sciencenordic.com
How to get weed out of your system?
Every person processes weed differently. The type of weed testing used can produce variable results too. Ideally, if you are a chronic weed user and you have been taking it in huge amount, the longer it will take to leave your system. How long does weed stay in your system if you smoked once?
Those who smoke weed on an occasional basis or partake weed at a rare event don’t really need to worry. The weed will eventually leave your system in three days’ time.
For heavy weed users, it will take at least 30 days for the weed to be excreted from the body. However, one should keep in mind that every person processes weed differently. Various factors have to be considered such as the person’s lifestyle, and metabolism. (1, 2, 3)
How long is weed detectable in urine?
The urine test is the most common way of checking illicit substance in the body. It measures the level of THC metabolites secreted in the urine. If the urine metabolite is less than 20-nanograms per milliliter, then you will most likely pass the test. Aside from the urine testing, there are other ways to check for the presence of weed in the body. These are the following:
- Blood test – It does not detect the past weed consumption. The THC metabolite can only stay in the blood for up to two days after consumption. However, heavy weed users may wait for a week before passing the blood test. A blood test for weed/cannabis is only reliable if the person is using cannabis at the moment or in the recent time. It can’t detect someone who has a long-term history of cannabis use.
- Hair follicle test – How long does weed stay in your hair? It is the least commonly used test. The metabolites of THC can only be detected in the hair a week after consumption. The good news is that it is helpful in tracing long-term cannabis use. The weed compounds can stay in the hair for up to 90 days after consumption. (1, 2, 3, 4)
| Urine Test | Blood Test | Hair Follicle Test |
| 3 to 30 days for regular users | 1 to 7 days for regular users | 90 days for long term users |
| 3 to 7 days for occasional users | 1 to 2 days for light users | 90 days for occasional users |
How long does weed stay in your system?
The weed stays in the system for a long time because the compound in cannabis is stored in the fat cells. THC metabolites are fat-soluble and are tucked away in the fat, which will eventually build up in the body. The cannabis metabolites can be present in the fat cells up to 28 days after the last consumption.
Cannabis metabolite can also be released into the bloodstream after exercise. As you know, exercise burns fat, which leads to the release of stored THC. If you want to pass a urine test for weed, then you need to wait for a few weeks to come clean. (1, 3, 4)
================================================================================
How long does alcohol stay in your system?
Image 1: A table showing the effects of certain level of alcohol in the body.
Photo Source: www.homehealthtesting.com
Picture 2: A chart comparing men and women’s response to alcohol.
Image Source: www.donttouchthespikes.com
Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused substances in the world. It is easily accessible. It is a depressant substance that can slow down the central nervous system. It affects not just the physical but the mental functioning of the body. As soon as you drink it, the body will readily absorb it.
In fact, alcohol requires little to no digestion. The moment it reaches the stomach, about 20% of alcohol moves to the small blood vessels. The remaining alcohol goes to the small intestines. (5, 6)
How long does it take for alcohol to leave your system?
Once the alcohol gets into the bloodstream, it will leave the system through the urine, breath, and perspiration. But most of the alcohol content is metabolized in the body. The body metabolizes alcohol at .015 of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) per hour. In every hour that you are not drinking, .015 of alcohol disappears from the body. (5)
Effects of alcohol intake in the body
| .15% (7 beers) | Driving is prohibited because the person’s ability to control and focus are impaired. |
| .10% (5 beers) | A person can’t stay in lane and brake when needed. |
| .08% (4 beers) | The person finds it difficult to process information. He/she also has trouble controlling speed. |
| .05% (3 beers) | A person has difficulty steering and reduced ability to track moving objects. |
| .02% (2 beers) | Trouble multitasking and loss of judgment. |
How long does it take for alcohol to leave your system completely?
A lot of factors can affect the body’s ability to process alcohol. These are the following:
- Age – Alcohol stays in the system longer in older people.
- Sex – Alcohol usually stays longer in the woman’s system than man.
- Food – If you drink alcohol in full stomach, the absorption of alcohol is slow.
- Race – East Asian descent is sensitive to alcohol because they lack the enzymes that break down alcohol.
- Genetics – Alcoholism runs in the family, although it is not responsible for someone to be alcoholic.
- Body built – The size of the body can affect the body’s ability to process alcohol. (5, 6, 7)
How long does alcohol stay in the system?
- Blood – Alcohol is eliminated in the blood at 0.015 per hour.
- Urine – Modern urine test can detect the alcohol for up to 80 hours after the last alcohol consumption.
- Breath – it can detect alcohol for up to 24 hours after the last alcohol intake.
- Hair – It can detect alcohol in a person’s body for up to 90 days after the last alcohol intake.
- Breast milk – The alcohol content in the breast milk is the same as the content of the blood. Once it leaves the blood, it also leaves the breast milk.
- Saliva – A saliva swab can detect alcohol for up to 24 hours after the last alcohol intake. (6, 8)
How to get alcohol out of your system fast?
- Increase your fluid intake (8 to 12 glasses of water/day).
- Consume milk thistle to help cleanse the liver.
- Get rid of toxins through exercise.
- Prescription medication helps flush out toxins and helps in the management of alcohol withdrawal symptoms. (5, 7, 8)
============================================================================
How long does cocaine stay in your system?
Photo 3: A cocaine is a white substance, commonly abused drug that causes euphoria.
Image Source: au.reachout.com
Image 4: A person taking cocaine via snorting.
Picture Source: www.narconon.org
A cocaine is a powerful addictive stimulant. It is applied topically as a local anesthetic. It does have its therapeutic use. Its leaves are chewed and brewed to combat stress and fatigue. It increases alertness too. However, a lot of people abuse cocaine due to its intense euphoric effect.
What the cocaine does is it blocks the removal of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter in the brain that creates pleasure.
The effect of cocaine in the body depends on how you take it. If you snort cocaine, the high feeling can last about 30 minutes. If ingested orally, the peak plasma concentration is at 1 hour. The base peak of smoking cocaine is at 45 minutes. The fastest route is through single intravenous dose with an average peak plasma concentration of five minutes. (9, 10, 11)
Drug testing for cocaine
The metabolite of cocaine is benzoylecgonine. Drug testing checks for cocaine metabolites. A low concentration of cocaine can be traced in the urine a few hours after cocaine use. For chronic cocaine users, the metabolite can be detected in the urine for up to 12 days after the last use. (10, 11)
How long does crack stay in your system?
It depends on the dosage and mode of administration. A street dose of cocaine can be traced for up to a week. A 20 mg cocaine via intravenous route can be traced for up to 1.5 days. If the dosage is extremely high, the cocaine metabolites can be traced for up to three weeks from the last use.
- Blood test – It can detect cocaine for up to 12 hours after the last use.
- Urine test – How long does cocaine stay in your urine system? If you are an infrequent cocaine user, the metabolites can be traced two to three days after the last use. For regular cocaine users, the urine test could turn out positive for two weeks after the last use.
- Hair follicle – How long does coke stain in your hair? It can detect cocaine for several months after the last use. (9, 11, 12)
| Urine test | 2-3 days (infrequent users)/2 weeks (regular users) |
| Blood test | 12 hours after the last use |
| Hair follicle test | Several months after the last use |
How to get crack out of your system?
- You should drink plenty of fluids such as water, juice or tea. Water alone can help flush out toxins from the body.
- You can clear cocaine faster if you exercise regularly. Perform aerobic exercise to get your blood pumping. Examples of aerobic exercise are biking, running, and swimming.
- You should eat healthy and nutritious foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating healthy speeds up the body’s metabolic processes.
- Stay away from alcoholic beverages. It can slow the elimination process.
- Increase your intake of zinc. It hastens cleansing of the body. Make sure that it is within the therapeutic dose. Too much zinc may lead to nausea, vomiting, headache, and diarrhea. (10, 11, 12)
=====================================================================
How long does Xanax stay in your system?
Photo 5: Xanax is primarily used to treat anxiety and depression.
Picture Source: family-intervention.com
Image 6: A girl who abuses the use of Xanax.
Photo Source: www.narconon.org
Xanax is one of the most popular benzodiazepines. It is used to treat medical conditions like anxiety, panic episodes, and social phobia. Xanax is prone to abuse because it is a highly addictive drug. (13)
How long does Xanax stay in your system?
The elimination half-life of Xanax is from nine hours to sixteen hours in normal adults. Most Xanax users eliminate half of Xanax in about 12 hours after the last use. Basically, it would take like four days for the Xanax to be completely eliminated from your system. The body’s ability to eliminate Xanax completely depends on various factors such as:
- Age – People 65 years old and above can’t eliminate Xanax quickly secondary to geriatric changes in the body.
- Fat content – People with high-fat content can quickly clear Xanax than light-weight people.
- Genetics – Your body’s ability to metabolize drugs is greatly influenced by your biochemical makeup.
- Liver and kidney function – People with impaired liver or kidney function retain Xanax longer than those with healthy liver and kidneys.
- Urine pH – A urine with acidic pH has a higher chance of excreting Xanax than a urine with alkaline pH.
- Dosage – High dosage of Xanax is quite difficult to excrete than a low dose Xanax. For the treatment of anxiety disorder, the doctor usually prescribes 0.25 mg to 4 mg of Xanax. In some instances, people take longer than the therapeutic dose because of tolerance, dependence, and addiction.
- The frequency of use – The ability of the body to clear Xanax depends on how often you use it. Xanax is quite difficult to excrete from the body if you have been using it for a long time now. (13, 14, 15)
Drug testing for Xanax
- Urine test – About 20% of Xanax remains unchanged in the urine. The metabolites of Xanax can be traced in the urine too. If you rarely take Xanax or have taken it in low dose, Xanax can be traced in the urine for up to four days after the last ingestion. However, those who have been taking Xanax for a long time now may test positive for up to a week after the last ingestion.
- Blood test – How long does Xanax stay in your blood? It can detect Xanax a few hours after consumption.
- Hair test – It would take at least a month for the hair follicle to grow. So, hair test for Xanax should only be done after a month of ingestion. It can accurately detect Xanax in chronic users.
- Saliva test – How long does Xanax stay in your saliva? The maximum detection time for Xanax in the saliva is 2.5 days. (13, 15, 16)
| Urine test | Up to four days (low dose/infrequent users)/week (chronic users) |
| Blood test | A few hours after last consumption |
| Hair test | A few months after last ingestion |
| Saliva test | 2.5 days after last use |
How to get Xanax out of your system?
- The best way to get Xanax out of your system is to stop taking it.
- If you want to come out clean of Xanax in the urine test, then you need to alter the pH level of urine. Increase the acidity of the urine to come out negative for Xanax.
- Exercise regularly to speed up the basal metabolic rate, improve the circulation of blood, and improve the functions of various organs in the body.
- Keep your body well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluid. Eat a healthy diet, especially foods rich in antioxidants. (14, 16)
=============================================================================
How long does meth stay in your system?
Picture 7: One of the common forms of meth readily available today.
Photo Source: www.howpride.com
Photo 8: Meth in its pill form.
Image Source: i.ytimg.com
Meth is short for methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant. It targets the central nervous system causing high or euphoria.
Meth users described the experience as powerful but fleeting. The high feeling slowly dissipates after the first hit. To re-experience the intense rush, meth users take more and more of the drug leading to abuse, dependency, and addiction. (17, 18)
How to take meth?
There are different forms of meth. The street name or code name for meth depends on its form. Some call it ice while others call it crystal. When it comes as a prescription drug, meth is usually in the pill form. It is also available in powder form, which is taken orally, snorted, or infected. Meth in the crystal/rock form is smoked. (19)
How long does meth stay in your system?
Meth stays longer in the system than other drugs. There are a number of factors that affect the body’s ability to eliminate meth. These include the pH level of urine, dosage, the frequency of use, body’s metabolism, and body mass. (18)
How long does meth stay in the blood?
It would take 24 to 48 hours for the meth to completely eliminate the blood.
How long does it take for drugs to get out of your urine?
Meth can be detected in the urine for up to four days after the last use. Chronic meth users may take a week for meth to be completely eliminated from the urine.
How long does ice stay in your saliva?
Meth can be detected in the saliva for up to two days after the last use.
How long does meth stay in the hair follicle?
You can trace meth in the hair follicle for up to 90 days from the last use. For chronic meth users, it would take more than 90 days to detect meth in the hair follicle. (17, 19, 20)
| Urine | 4 days (infrequent users)/ 1 week (chronic users) |
| Blood | 24 to 48 hours after last use |
| Saliva | 2 days after the last consumption |
| Hair follicle | 90 days |
What is the fastest way to clean out your system for a drug test?
- The sure way to clean your system from meth is to not take meth in any forms. You should give your body ample time to break down meth and its metabolites.
- Drink plenty of water to facilitate the body’s natural cleansing mechanism.
- Increase your intake of nutritious foods to keep your body healthy and strong.
- Give your kidneys and liver a boost by taking supplements.
- Perform aerobic exercise to help the body in flushing out of toxins.
- There are detox drinks that help flush out meth from your system. If the urine test is used to detect met, there is a high hope that you will get a negative result as long as the test is conducted a few hours after taking detox drinks.
The best and proven effective way to come out negative of illicit drug is to not take it in any form. Quitting can be extremely challenging, especially if you are a chronic user. That’s why rehab center and support groups are readily available to people who want to quit drugs and start a new life. (18, 19, 20)
References:
- https://herb.co/2015/10/18/how-long-does-weed-stay-in-your-system/
- https://herb.co/2017/02/03/long-weed-stay-system/
- https://hightimes.com/health/long-weed-stay-system/
- https://www.leafscience.com/2017/10/25/how-long-thc-system/
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/how-long-in-system/
- https://luxury.rehabs.com/alcohol-abuse/how-long-in-your-system/
- https://www.alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org/how-long-does-alcohol-stay-in-your-body/
- https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/faq/how-long-does-alcohol-stay-in-your-system/#gref
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/cocaine-treatment/how-long-in-system/
- https://luxury.rehabs.com/cocaine-addiction/how-long-does-it-stay-in-your-system/
- http://drug.addictionblog.org/how-long-does-cocaine-stay-in-blood-hair-or-urine/
- http://www.adt-healthcare.com/blog/post/how-long-cocaine-stay-system
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/xanax-treatment/how-long-in-system/
- https://answers.webmd.com/answers/1198207/how-long-does-xanax-stay-in
- http://prescription-drug.addictionblog.org/xanax-half-life-how-long-does-xanax-stay-in-your-system/
- http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/10/16/how-long-does-xanax-alprazolam-stay-in-your-system/
- https://luxury.rehabs.com/crystal-meth-addiction/how-long-does-it-stay-in-your-system/
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/meth-treatment/how-long-in-system/
- http://www.treatment4addiction.com/addiction/meth/how-long-does-crystal-meth-stay-in-your-system/
- http://adamhscc.org/en-US/facts-meth.aspx